As time goes on I become increasingly more republican!
So, the feast of Christ the King, (strangely promoted, perhaps even invented, in that most republican of countries, the USA.)
rather goes against the grain
rather goes against the grain
But it has important themes for us to attend to
Even if we do have demythologise the language of monarchy!!
Even if we do have demythologise the language of monarchy!!
We get the idea...Christ is to us
like the King is to his subjects
We need to not see this in a brutal way
but rather to embrace the idea
that we are the willing/contented subjects
of King Jesus.
The Lord of the Cross.
We probably only need
to consider the Gospel (here)
which is pretty direct.
"In so far as you cared for the needy
you are caring for me!"
and then the converse
(perhaps more chastening)
"Ignore the needy,
and you ignore me"
More specific
We are directed to the hungry
the thirsty
the stranger
the naked
the sick
the prisoner.
This list might seem almost arbitrary
but it bears some consideration.
THE HUNGRY...there are indeed people who just don't have food
How can we respond to them
Is it through Anglicare, or World Vision
or simply by bringing food to church each Sunday for St Mary Magdalene's and Beacon
THE THIRSTY...thirst is is often an allegory for those
who have deep spiritual thirst
Are you attending to your own spiritual thirst?
Are you helping those who come to find an answer to their deep spiritual questions ( why is this happening to me?, Where is God? I feel purposeless!) Do we take these questions seriously?
THE STRANGER
Do we miss the miss "the stranger" in our midst?
Those who are lonely, those who have no friends
those who need to be connected to other people?
THE NAKED
It would be easy to think of the naked ...sexually
But I suspect there is something more important here.
Those who have absolutely no protection
against the the pressures of the world
(just as the naked have no clothes).
Can you think of anyone who is so vulnerable?
THE SICK
Christians have deep concern for the sick
I want them to be well
and I want to pray really hard for them.
This is the work of the kingdom
Fervent prayer and care for the sick
THE PRISONER
It is perhaps the prisoner who interests me
We are, I think, talking about those who are
actually in jail
But also those who are in jails of their own making
or who have been trapped by circumstances
..the jails of addiction, poverty, or accident
We don't have to think terribly figuratively
to realise that many of the world's people
live in jails that are not actually prisons
What then we hear is the simple message of Christ the King
Feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty,
welcome the stranger,
clothe the naked,
release the prisoner.
Easy said
our faith commitment .....
...attend to this important stuff
like the King is to his subjects
We need to not see this in a brutal way
but rather to embrace the idea
that we are the willing/contented subjects
of King Jesus.
The Lord of the Cross.
We probably only need
to consider the Gospel (here)
which is pretty direct.
"In so far as you cared for the needy
you are caring for me!"
and then the converse
(perhaps more chastening)
"Ignore the needy,
and you ignore me"
More specific
We are directed to the hungry
the thirsty
the stranger
the naked
the sick
the prisoner.
This list might seem almost arbitrary
but it bears some consideration.
THE HUNGRY...there are indeed people who just don't have food
How can we respond to them
Is it through Anglicare, or World Vision
or simply by bringing food to church each Sunday for St Mary Magdalene's and Beacon
THE THIRSTY...thirst is is often an allegory for those
who have deep spiritual thirst
Are you attending to your own spiritual thirst?
Are you helping those who come to find an answer to their deep spiritual questions ( why is this happening to me?, Where is God? I feel purposeless!) Do we take these questions seriously?
THE STRANGER
Do we miss the miss "the stranger" in our midst?
Those who are lonely, those who have no friends
those who need to be connected to other people?
THE NAKED
It would be easy to think of the naked ...sexually
But I suspect there is something more important here.
Those who have absolutely no protection
against the the pressures of the world
(just as the naked have no clothes).
Can you think of anyone who is so vulnerable?
THE SICK
Christians have deep concern for the sick
I want them to be well
and I want to pray really hard for them.
This is the work of the kingdom
Fervent prayer and care for the sick
THE PRISONER
It is perhaps the prisoner who interests me
We are, I think, talking about those who are
actually in jail
But also those who are in jails of their own making
or who have been trapped by circumstances
..the jails of addiction, poverty, or accident
We don't have to think terribly figuratively
to realise that many of the world's people
live in jails that are not actually prisons
What then we hear is the simple message of Christ the King
Feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty,
welcome the stranger,
clothe the naked,
release the prisoner.
Easy said
our faith commitment .....
...attend to this important stuff
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