This week we celebrate Reign of Christ Sunday (also known as Christ the King Sunday, by others). It is the Sunday sitting between Ordinary Time and Advent; the Sunday between the End and the Beginning of the liturgical year.
During Ordinary Time, we see the colour green in the church; on the priest, the altar and banners. Green represents survival, growth and flourishing of the church. I like to think of it as a time when we are not rushing around trying to ‘be ready’ for an event. Maybe a bit of a more relaxing time. It is a very long season in the church, a season where we can relax a bit and focus on just being Christian.
“Jesus didn’t start an institution, he started a movement. The same movement as Abraham and Sarah. The same movement as Moses and the Israelites. The same movement Amos described when he said ‘Let justice roll down like a river, and righteousness like an ever flowing stream’.”
Reign of Christ Sunday, on the other hand, is represented by white for the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. On Reign of Christ Sunday we celebrate that God’s reign in the entire universe has already been accomplished. On the other hand, has it really? Is Jesus’ reign truly over? I suppose yes, in his human form on earth it is complete but he is not done with us. When our Queen passes away, a King will take her place and reign in his own way, but in religion and with Jesus we don’t get another King to step into the role. His is still our King and Saviour. We are the hands and feet of God and need to look to him to guide our way through life each and every day. So, when does his reign over us get completed? When we have finished our time on earth and have been welcomed into heaven into the arms of Jesus.
This Sunday gives us time to reflect on a new beginning. A new beginning, waiting for the arrival of a baby, who is found in a manger and waiting for his coming again. But do we just sit and wait? We all know the answer to that is no. But what will you do to start a new beginning in your walk with God?
I found out through facebook and bit of reading, that November 25 begins the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. It is a United Nations campaign to challenge the world for the prevention and elimination of violence against women. This year is the 30th anniversary of this and its theme is ‘From Awareness to Accountability’
This falls right into place with what Jesus asks of us. We need to speak out for others, not just women but for all people. Sheila has been leading a book study for the past few weeks, using the book “The Social Justice Bible Challenge”. It has been quite an eye opener for me to realize how often Social Justice is represented or spoken about in the Bible.
In this book, Michael Curry, the Episcopal Church’s Bishop had this to say about Social Justice:
“Jesus didn’t start an institution, he started a movement. The same movement as Abraham and Sarah. The same movement as Moses and the Israelites. The same movement Amos described when he said ‘Let justice roll down like a river, and righteousness like an ever flowing stream’.
This is a movement commissioned and commanded by God to transform this world from the nightmare we’ve too often made it, and into the dream that God has intended all along.”
As we come up to Advent, the time of waiting, we don’t have to wait until his arrival at Christmas for that new beginning in our walking with Jesus. BECAUSE, by starting now, by the time of his joyous birth, we can already have made a difference in someone’s life and in the world that Jesus still reigns.
So what will your new beginning look like? In the words of Captain Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek – The Next Generation…
Make it so!