Your Kingdom Come...

A great many Christian Churches around the world will begin celebrating Advent next Sunday, which means today is the last Sunday of our Christian year: Christ the King Sunday. Today we celebrate the majestic One, who reigns as King and Lord over all creation - the one who poured himself out in love, who was crucified and raised. The Resurrection of Jesus is the decisive pledge that, when it comes to our broken politics and culture, economics and justice, his Kingdom of Love and Justice must ultimately have the final word. Praise God+

The video below features the great and stirring hymn, "Lo, He comes with Clouds Descending" written by Charles Wesley, the Anglican priest and early Methodist leader (along with his brother John and several others). This wonderful example of Methodist and Anglican spirituality is number 718 in The United Methodist Hymnal, and itself is also sung during Advent, a season which looks forward to the coming of the King.




A Prayer for Christ the King Sunday:

Almighty and everlasting God, it is your will to restore all things to Christ, whom you have annointed priest for ever and Ruler of creation. Grant that all the people of the earth, now divided by the power of sin, may be united under the glorious and gentle rule of Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

(United Methodist Hymnal #721, adapted from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer p. 236)