LAST FRIDAY OF THE KINGDOM
29 November 2013
Readings:
Key Verses:
Dan. 7:14b: “His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”
John 18:36: “Jesus answered [Pilate], ‘My Kingdom is not of this world. If my Kingdom were of this world, then my servants would fight, that I wouldn’t be delivered… But now my Kingdom is not from here.”
Reflection
This is a remarkable weekend in the United States, as far as religion is concerned, for this year, Thanksgiving, Advent Sunday, and the Jewish festival of Hanukkah coincide. This last happened in 1918, and will not happen until 2070. Unless I live to 90, I probably won’t see this again in my lifetime.
“Giving thanks” is a major theme that runs through all three observances. Hanukkah, you might recall, is the Jewish eight-day Festival of Lights, commemorating the Maccabean rededication of the Temple from Hellenistic control in the 2nd century BCE. The Temple menorah is said to have burned for eight days with oil that should’ve lasted for just one. The story appears (minus the miracle of the oil) in the deuterocanonical books of 1 and 2 Maccabees. And from that time period on, Hanukkah has been an occasion to give thanks for the restoration of Jewish worship and custom, and for God’s providence and goodness towards his people. Even Jesus, 200 years after the event, is recorded to have observed this “Feast of Dedication”, a subtle testament to his deep-rooted Jewish piety and sincere gratitude.
Countless nations observe a civil festival of the harvest or thanksgiving, usually anywhere between September and November in the Northern Hemisphere. Yesterday the United States observed our Thanksgiving. American Thanksgiving doesn’t usually get the kind of controversy, which Columbus Day brings here. But despite later historical events, for at least one night, Pilgrims and Native Americans put aside their differences and prejudices in order to partake of food and companionship. The very word “companionship”, Latin for ‘bread fellow’, shows the essential connection between food and fellowship. And as our secular culture heads right into the shopping season, may we continue in that spirit and set aside a day for thankfulness and generosity towards others.
The final week of our church year is for us one more source of thankfulness: celebrating the Reign of Christ, the Kingdom of God. And what is that Kingdom? Today we read that God’s Kingdom is eternal and indestructible, and that it does not belong to the world. We can’t lose it because nothing can separate us from the love of God. We can’t fight for it because aggression can never be a solid foundation for love, generosity, and community. The world can’t claim or own it because it animates the world, dwelling in and among us, and therefore the world and we depend on it.
I had the privilege of attending an Interfaith Thanksgiving service this past Tuesday. I sat in a Lutheran church with fellow Christians, Jews, and people of other faiths. The liturgy was simple because our spirit and purpose were one. For one hour, we lay aside religious differences and were thankful for the fact that we just are; that we desire, and are able, to partake of worship together; that, despite our failings, God’s light burns within each one of us, miraculously longer and brighter than we expect; that, whenever the world sidetracks us, we can always stop and rededicate ourselves to God, the Creator of all life; and that, because God’s eternal Kingdom is among us, there’s a part of us that can never be taken away.
Thanks be to God!
Prayer of the Day
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
you gave us your Son,
the beloved one who was rejected,
the Savior who appeared defeated.
Yet the mystery of his kingship illumines our lives.
Show us in his death
the victory that crowns the ages,
and in his broken body
the love that unites heaven and earth.
We ask this through your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.
—Collect 4 for “Christ the King (or Reign of Christ)” from the Book of Common Worship of the Presbyterian Church (USA) p. 395.
Hymn: “Jesus, now your praises voicing”
(Words: “Herre Kristus, dig til ære”, C. J. Boye, 1840 in Den Danske Salmebog; translated and adapted from Danish by Joseph A. Soltero, 2013
Tune: ‘Dig til ære’, by J.A. Freylinghausen, 1704)
Jesus, now your praises voicing,
We conclude the church’s year.
We part ways in hope rejoicing:
Advent comes, with Christmas near.
Harp and organ, hymn and psalter,
Made our hearts and spirits soar.
Flames of faith burn at your altar
Till the earth shall be no more.
Thank you for yourself revealing,
Christ, the Church’s Guest and Priest.
For the Christmas spirit healing,
For baptism and holy feast.
Thank you for Good Friday’s sadness;
Easter cheers the soul anew,
Pentecost brings us the gladness
Of the Spirit breathed by you.
Thanks for prayers received in heaven,
For forgiveness, rest, and calm,
For the church’s journey given,
Heartfelt hymn and soothing psalm.
Thank you, for you ever call us,
Op’ning wide each yearning heart;
For our tears and for your solace,
Which the world cannot impart.
Jesus, hear our voices singing:
Shepherd forth in every place
Those whom you in love are bringing
To your table by your grace.
Through the coming year, assure us
As our peaceful, present guide.
Let each day and hour before us
Be forever by your side!
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