CHRIST OUR KING

SERMON PREACHED BY FR. TONY NOBLE ON NOVEMBER 26, 2006

John 18.36: "So you are a king?"

And we know Jesus' reply: "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth." And sometime afterwards Pilot would say: What is truth? And would receive no answer.

Christ the King.

Most Episcopalians love the British monarchy. Because it is our link to the Church of England. And also because of a certain cultural disposition to things English, not least church liturgy and music.

I was therefore taken aback when Fr. Krulak told me he had not been to see the movie 'The Queen'! I presume many other people in the congregation have seen this wonderful movie. It reveals Queen Elizabeth II and the whole royal family in an interesting light. They are shown as being human yet mysterious. Caught up in politics and yet above politics. The queen is intensely conscious that she has a God given vocation which has obligations and traditions.

Although it's only a movie, I was apprehensive about seeing a mortal playing the role of Queen Elizabeth - much as I am apprehensive about actors portraying Jesus in Biblical movies. That is probably because I was brought up in Australia in the 1950's when the National Anthem was 'God Save the Queen.'

Even after I left the cinema, having seen the royal family and the queen portrayed in all their humanity, the mystery of the monarchy still remained with me. The mystery of the monarchy. In a way the events portrayed in that movie - the death of Princess Diana - at the time only added to the mystery of the monarchy. Was it not for all of us the ending of a fairy tale? And the grief displayed all over the world was because a fairy tale had ended with all the worst things that can happen in our world, including motor car accidents, prestige, popularity and even alcohol.

I'm sure it was the same in the United States as it was in Australia: a great outpouring of grief publicly for the week leading up to the funeral of Princess Diana. In my former parish I scheduled a Requiem Mass to happen at the same time as the funeral in Westminster Abbey. It was reported in the newspaper, and a radio station rang me and wanted a direct broadcast of what I was about to do.

Everywhere votive candles appeared, even in the lowest of Evangelical churches. We can thank Princess Diana for introducing that Catholic practice all over the church.

In this republic of the United States we rejoice in a democracy with an elected President. But there is little mystery attached to the position. And we might say “thank God” for that!

Theoretically, if we don't like the president, we don't re-elect him. Of course he or she has a limited term. Unlike a king or queen, who reigns until they die, like the Pope - and we know about the crises of the abdication in the l930's.

The British Monarchy unlike other monarchies is avidly Christian. The Coronation Rite is 1,000 years old. In that service the monarchy is anointed, as in the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and holy unction - thereby indicating that the monarch is receiving a ministry and vocation. And she is clothed in a dalmatic - the deacon's vestment that he wears at High Mass, which is the vestment indicating a ministry of service.

It is a sacramental rite, and it all happens in the context of the Eucharist celebrated by an Archbishop. High Church Episcopalians love it! It is the symbolism that strikes us most. So we can understand why Queen Elizabeth II has a profound sense of her vocation as God given. We can also understand, therefore, why the monarchy is surrounded by mystery.

Did you know that when television came to Britain the Royal family was told not to wear revealing clothes on T.V. - lest their mystery be exposed to the gaze of the public!

What has this got to do with today’s celebration of Christ the King? When the bible describes the Kingship of Christ it does so with mystery. Consider our first readings today. Daniel and Revelation: apocalyptic writings often written to convey a sense of the end of time and the coming of God. These writings proclaim the coming of Christ beyond the trappings of earthly kingship. There is great imagery in this figure called the Son of Man, who comes on the clouds of heaven to judge and who is the King and lord of all creation. In Colossians St. Paul conveys the kingship of Christ in similar images.

Even though our head of state is an elected president we easily understand the significance of calling our Lord Jesus Christ the King of the Universe. Because we have a president we can understand that a true king has more authority and power. 'Hail to the Chief' is only second best to "Hail Redeemer, King Divine."

Jesus' response to Pilate in today's gospel says as much.

We also remember that on many occasions Jesus talked about his kingdom. There are many images he gives about his kingdom and when he comes to judge. One of the most striking is when he talked about feeding the hungry. He said that at the end of time when he comes he will decide between the sheep and the goats. And he will say that those who fed the poor, visited the sick, etc, would enter into the kingdom.

Thus it is highly significant that last Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, we held a community Thanksgiving lunch in our parish hall. We weren't overrun with street people, but it was a real attempt by a small group of parishioners to make the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ a reality here in our parish. And to show ourselves as worthy members of his kingdom and followers of Christ as our king.

Ultimately Jesus can only be king of the universe if he is first king of our hearts. So today is a day when we can lift our hearts to him in the Eucharist in a special liturgy that acclaims him as king. Every Eucharist does exactly this. It acclaims Christ as king in sacramental signs, and we express it personally because Jesus is always present amongst us in the Eucharist. And we acclaim Christ as king of our hearts in that personal moment when we receive holy communion.

At the end of Mass today we have the special ceremony of Eucharistic Procession and Benediction, when the Blessed Sacrament is placed in the monstrance, and carried in solemn procession, concluding with Benediction. It is as if we are seeing Christ our king passing amongst his people - and our response is worship and praise.

Here at All Saints in our tradition music and liturgy play a great part in nourishing our spiritual life. For Christ the transcendent king cannot be grasped by reason alone. The glory of our music, our church building, our liturgy - these all draw us to the glory of God.

So on this Feast of Christ the King, as he is exalted in the beauty of the music, as he is lifted up in the sacrament and in the procession, and as we contemplate him: Christ crucified, risen, ascended and glorified - so may our king of glory make us people able to serve Christ as our king; and able to offer our joy to others.