The other night I was at Normal Community High School for the awards ceremony for cross country. The coach started to use the mike and it didn't work. He had a sore throat, so he couldn't project his voice very much. But he did okay. He spoke about each student athlete—all 70 of them. He knew their times, how much they had improved, their injuries, their comic abilities. He told of one kid he was surprised had gone out for cross country because in class they hadn't gotten along so well—but there was reconciliation. He gave awards to those who were the great encouragers of the rest of the team, and he spoke of those runners who stepped up as team leaders. He told of one senior who had car problems—running out of gas and losing her keys. Then there was the boy who had a tragic loss during the year and yet there he was, still going. He said he wouldn't talk so much because of the lack of a mike—but I did the math, and thought, okay, we won't be out of here before 9:30 p.m. But you know what? That time just flew by—because the coach loved his team, and that really came through. Our daughter later said, you know, our team really is like a family. The spirit of helping and serving was alive and well there.
On this the last Sunday of the Christian year we celebrate the Kingship of Christ. This is one day when we focus especially on the fact that He is our Leader, our Ruler, our Prime Minister and President all rolled into one. What we lift up this one day is meant to be true for us every day. "Rejoice in the Lord always," wrote the apostle Paul. "Again I say, rejoice." Whatever else is going on—in us or around us—we can rejoice because Love is on the throne. Jesus Christ the Risen Lord is sovereign over your life, and mine, and over all life. Therefore, we are free, and we need not be afraid. In every triumph, every loss, every trial, every project large or small, let our creed be that of the earliest church: Jesus is Lord.
Everything comes under the gentle rule of Jesus. We are servants of the king. Our spirituality is focused on bringing the whole of existence to reflect the beauty, power, and love of our reigning monarch—especially in our own personalities. He is truly the King of Hearts; he alone can transform our hearts to love.
The challenge is to get that into my being—to let Christ be King over my emotions, my disappointments, my joys, my money, and my choices. "Be thou my vision O Lord of my heart, nought be all else to me save that Thou art."
In our church we are entering upon a different time. Jim Bell is going to be on sabbatical for the next six months. I ask your prayers for him as he embarks on this community-oriented mission endeavor, with emphasis on homelessness. It's also a time where I think we're all being called to step forward as we follow Christ together. Already, elders, staff and other leaders, and members of the church are taking the initiative to carry out various forms of ministry, and a number of folks have stepped up and offered to help wherever needed. I believe this is a time when we will see evidence of the Holy Spirit prompting individuals and groups to serve in evermore creative ways. We will also continue to see the signs of the risen Christ at work among us, bringing about works of the kingdom. What will they be? We don't know yet.
One of the characteristics of God's kingdom work is that it often takes us by surprise. In his wonderful sermon on Reformation Sunday, Pastor Jim explained that we affirm the priesthood of all believers. That means that whoever we are, we have a ministry to offer. Sometimes that involves serving in church, a committee, worship, small groups, listening, counseling, praying, serving meals, singing, leading yout, teaching children, building, greeting, reading, and ushering. For all of us it means being equipped and encouraged here in church to serve the King out there, in the world. Our work here is to equip one another to be God's person in the world—to be able respond to the challenges and opportunities with uncommon love, uncommon cheer, uncommon commitment; and to realize that neither you nor I nor anyone else is or has to be perfect—just willing to start over again as often as necessary. We want to build a culture of welcome, a fellowship of joy, or as the Bible calls it in the Greek, a community of hilarios—which clearly is the root of our English word hilarity.
Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, the late archbishop of Chicago, faced two crises near the end of his life. He was stricken with pancreatic cancer, and he was falsely accused by a man who later retracted his accusation. He said in the middle of it all, "I have an intimacy with God deeper than I've ever known, because I've turned it all over to God." Here was a man who walked the walk—a true servant, who came to his faith by constant, daily practice. It is a possibility for each of us.
There is a way to pray for the Lordship of Christ to be manifest in our lives. Take me as I am, lead me to what I shall be; make me your true servant, today and always, Lord.
The Bible portrays a day when the reign of Christ will be unmistakable. Worthy is the lamb who was slain—all the multitudes will cry. It will be worship of epic proportions. For now, though, in the meantime, Christ, the king of hearts, works quietly, in the places of the poor, in the lives of all who will follow. We catch glimpses of what will be, mostly in small deeds of caring and unheralded sacrifices of time and comfort. If we just look around us at the very people who we meet in church and in life, we will see evidence every day that Christ is Lord indeed. |
