"Thanks for the Reign

                                           THANKS FOR THE REIGN                                                                                           NOVEMBER 22, 2009

          This is Christ the King Sunday, also known as Reign of Christ
Sunday.  It’s the last Sunday in the liturgical calendar, a day when we
celebrate the reign of Christ.  But what do we mean by “the reign of
Christ”?  Let’s think about that for a few minutes this morning.

 
          In my office, I keep filing cabinets full of sermon ideas and
illustrations I’ve collected over the last 20 years or so.  A few years ago, an
anonymous person sent a stack of pamphlets and newspaper articles to me at
a church I was serving.  I’ve brought the stack to show you.  (Yes, it’s show
and tell time).  One of the articles says, “Space telescope takes pictures of
angels.”  And there’s even a photo of angels taken by the Hubble space
telescope.  Another headline reads, “Satellite beams back SHOCKING
PROOF . . . of paradise in space!”  And there are photos of “mysterious
buildings” in space.  Another article warns against anything associated with
the number 666 and it even advises us not to use those bar code readers to
buy stuff.  (This could be a problem).  There are charts that detail Christ’s
first and second coming and the rapture.  And a final (misspelled) headline
reads, “GOD’S JUDGEMENT DAY IS NEAR IN AUTUMN 1992, JESUS IS
COMING AGAIN.”  Oops.

 
          Of course, that’s not exactly what we mean by the reign of Christ. 
          As one scholar has noted, the popular Left Behind  series novels depict
the triumphant Christ returning to the earth.  Faithful Christians are
“raptured” out of harm’s way–no death and resurrection required. 
Meanwhile, Christ strides about blowing men, women, and animals to bits
while elite members of Christ’s “Trib Force” watch the carnage from
private aircraft and fancy Hummers.  And even those who repent and turn to
Christ as Lord are sent to the lake of fire.  Tough luck.  Too late.  (See Deborah
Smith Douglas’ fine article in “Weavings,” Nov./Dec. 2006, 16-27.)

          That’s not what we mean by the reign of Christ. 

          Other folks say, “There is no ‘reign of Christ.’  There’s only “eat,
drink, and be merry.”  “You only live once.”  There are no consequences
beyond this life.  Do as you please and be as selfish as necessary.  Besides,
we’re all just marking time here until we die or the sun moves to the Red
Giant stage in about five billion years, burns the earth to a crisp before the
sun itself burns out, collapses on itself and becomes a black hole. Nothing
really matters. 

          That’s not what we mean by the reign of Christ either. 

          What do we mean by “the reign of Christ”?  As we mentioned last
week, theologians have described Christ’s reign as “already, but not yet.” 
“Already, but not yet”–that’s what the reading from John’s gospel and from
the Book of Revelation show us.

 
          In John’s gospel, we see Jesus in the clutches of that awful duo of
religious faith twisted into misunderstanding and hatred, and governmental
power perverted to carry out torture and murder.  Working with the religious
“authorities,” Pilate “summons” Jesus.  “Are you the King of the Jews?” 
Jesus says, “My kingdom’s not from this world.  If it were, my followers
would be fighting to keep me from being handed over.  My kingdom’s not
from here . . .  Everybody who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” 
And Pilate asks Jesus the question of his age, the question of our age, the
question of every age.  “What is truth?” 

          “What is truth?”  The Greek word for truth means that which is real,
that which is solid and dependable.  And the world so desperately longs for
the truth.

 
          Here’s an exercise to try. Watch television for a little while.  Watch
television not only for entertainment but as a student of culture.  Pay
attention not only to what television is teaching but also how television is
teaching.  T.V. commercials are some of the best indicators.  Lately,
television commercials frequently follow this pattern.  We’re shown a
scene.  It seems ordinary, enough.  Maybe it’s somebody driving a car.  And
we’re sucked into the scene, watching, wondering what’s going to happen. 
And the next thing you know, the car is flying or swimming or eating a
house; you name it.  Anything seems possible with computer-generated
graphics.  The advertisers are banking that we’ll remember their product
because of the absurdity of the commercial.  It’s funny.  But it’s not real. 

          We turn on the television and hear debate about health care reform,
about war in Afghanistan and Iraq, about economic recovery and
compensation for those at the top of the corporate world.  Whom do we
believe? Pilate asks.  We ask.  The universe asks.  What is truth? 

          Christ is truth.  Christ is the way, the truth, and the life.  Christ came
to testify to the truth.  Christ is real, utterly dependable,  rock solid.  The
reign of Christ is truth.

 
          Can it be proved beyond a shadow of a doubt? No. But we have the
witness of the church for more than 2000 years.  The witness of Holy
Scripture, tested and tested again.  The witness of Christ in the lives of
faithful Christians we know.  The witness of Christ in our own lives through
joy and sorrow and daily living.  The reign of Christ is truth.

 
          When John wrote the Book of Revelation, the Christians of his time
were beginning to be persecuted.  And John could see that more persecution
would be coming their way.  The Romans didn’t know what to do with these
out of step Christians who said there was only one God, instead of many
gods.  And these strange Christians refused to say, “Caesar is Lord.”  No. 
These weird Christians said, “Christ is Lord.”  The Romans asked, What to
do with these subversives who refuse their patriotic duty to support the state
in any way asked?  Well, let’s interrogate them.  Let’s torture them.  And,
later on in history–let’s feed them to lions.  Nothing like good ole Roman
entertainment.

          John writes to these little churches in Asia.  We can imagine their
fear.  Things aren’t completely awful yet.  But they see where things are
heading.  So we can imagine John saying, “Now let’s not be stupid about
this.  Let’s use our heads, not get them chopped off.  Just go along to get
along.  Believe the right things, but go along with the Romans.  Play their
game.  It’s the smart and expedient thing to do.  Hail the emperor, but cross
your fingers when you’re doing it.” 

          But that’s not what John says.  John says, “Grace to you and peace
from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits
who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the
firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.” 

          In your face, Roman “empire!”  Take that Mr. Caesar!  You’re just
passing through this world.  But the real ruler of the universe is, was, and is
to come.  The real ruler of the universe sits on his throne in heaven and is
the ruler of the kings of the earth.  And that includes you, Mr. Bigshot.

 
          And then John keeps going.  He says, “To him who loves us and freed
us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving
his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever.  Amen.”

          Big scary Romans, you think you’ve got us under your thumb?  You
think we’re quivering before you?  Well, we’re loved by God in Christ and
we’ve been freed from our sins.  And we’re not really your subjects in your
so-called kingdom that’s on its way out.  We’re priests in Christ’s kingdom,
serving God.  And to God, not you, to God be glory and dominion forever
and ever.

          Do you see what John sees?  John sees the already but not yet of
Christ’s reign.  Yes, John knows that terrible things are happening and
terrible things will happen to good people.  But John also knows that evil
has done its worst, yet the triumphant Christ has been resurrected and sits on
the throne.  Christ’s reign has already begun.  Christ is the ruler of the kings
of the earth.  And we’re priests in Christ’s kingdom, serving God. 

          So the armed thugs in Darfur and the Congo may think they torture
and kill with impunity.  But Christ’s reign has begun and we priests, in the
name of Christ, are calling for an end to the violence.  It will end, and Christ
will reign in judgment and mercy. 

          Those in our country who distort truth for personal gain while
trampling the rights of the needy, may think they can do as they want.  But
Christ’s reign has begun and there will be an accounting.  Christ’s reign is
already, but not yet.

  
          And because Christ’s reign is already but not yet, think about the
implications for our so-called “ordinary” lives.

 
          Like those first Christians, we need not fear bullies at school, at work,
or in relationships.  Christ reigns; they do not.

 
          We don’t have to be afraid of sickness, loss, sin, and death.  Christ
reigns, and will grant strength and comfort and peace.

 
          And because Christ reigns, we know who we are--channels for God’s
love in words and actions.  So we pray for peace.  We plan new ministries
for the mentally ill and for the elderly.  We organize mission trips.  We
teach children, youth, and adults the Christian faith.  We give more than
$10,000 to Habitat for Humanity.  We read Holy Scripture.  We support
Bridges of Hope.  We say an encouraging word.  We visit a shut-in.  We
contact an elected representative to work for justice.  We pay fair wages. 
We worship God.  We do not despair.  We do not give up.  We live as the
Christians we are–priests serving God.  Christ’s reign is already, but not
yet. 

          U.C.C. Pastor Dale Rosenberger says, a few years ago, when Habitat
for Humanity was just getting started, Millard Fuller, the founder, was being
interviewed by a San Francisco radio station.  The interview was not going
well.  The interviewer couldn’t even get the organization’s name right.  Not
many people called in, and the few who did really didn’t seem to understand
or care very much.  Fuller kept trying to answer the questions, but finally he
got frustrated.  He took the mike and said, “The name of the organization is
Habitat for Humanity . . . and we build simple, decent homes for God’s
people in need.  Our purpose?  That is simple.  We aim to eliminate poverty
housing from the face of the earth.  After we finish that, well, I suppose we
will move on and find something else to do.”  Rosenberger says, “The lights
on the radio switchboard lit up like Christmas, and incredulous listeners
wondered how he dared to say such a preposterous thing.” (Dale Rosenberger,
Who Are You to Say?: Establishing Pastoral Authority in Matters of Faith, 25.) According to
Habitat’s website, today the organization has built more than “300,000
houses around the world, providing more than 1.5 million people in 3,000
communities with safe, decent, affordable shelter.”  

          What is truth?  Christ is truth.  And even now, Christ’s reign is
breaking forth in you and me and around the world.  Amen.