Grace and Peace to you!
November brings us the last two festival Sundays of the church year. One, All Saints Sunday, is on the first Sunday of the month and the other, Christ the King Sunday, is on the last Sunday of the month.
Many people may think of a ‘saint’ as being someone wearing an ancient costume with a halo around their head as seen in many stained-glass windows. But that’s not exactly right because the Bible teaches that all who have trusted in Jesus as their Savior are ‘saints’. When Paul wrote his letter to the Christians living in Rome, the address he put on the envelope was “To all God’s beloved in Rome who are called to be saints” (1:7). Like all of us, they weren’t perfect, but they were precious in God’s sight.
Saints are ordinary people who have given their heart to Jesus. And so, we are declared saints, we are invited to live our lives in response to that fact.
All Saints Sunday is a great day for us to remember people who believed in Jesus as their Savior and have departed from this world. All of us have people who we remember who are already with the Lord. Actually, it is very important for us because we want to follow the steps of maybe a father, an uncle, an aunt, grandparent, brother or sister who are already with the Lord who were very faithful to him. Their faith-filled lives are examples for us to follow.
Christ the King Sunday is the last Sunday in our liturgical year and it provides us an opportunity to acknowledge Christ as King of our lives. But just what do we mean when we say Christ is the “King?” Your answer to that question might depend upon what the word “King” means to you.
When you think of a king, do you think of someone who is on top of the world, or at least a country, someone with final say and authority? Usually this is thought to be a person of great power or charisma, or maybe a person who has played the political cards just right in order to keep atop the popularity wave. Or, in the case of a cruel and forceful king, we may see a ruler who cares little for other people or their opinions, and acts only to ensure their own well-being, even to the point of oppressing their subjects.
But Jesus was a different kind of king. He didn’t rule with an iron fist or cater to the whims of popularity. He didn’t wield control over nations or defeat massive empires. In fact, his kingdom was spread individual by individual, one person at a time.
Throughout the church year we see, time and time again, how Christ rules in our lives. We are called to acknowledge the many gifts our Lord gives us and we are empowered to put those gifts to service. Year after year we are reminded of the depth of God’s love for us as we learn about Jesus’ life and mission.
The seasons of the church year help us to refocus on what should be most important in our lives: who God is, what God is about and our calling to be the people of God in the world. Each season provides us with a different picture of Jesus. Each season shows us a different face of Christ as the Ruler of all.
Christ has touched our lives, and we have come to know Christ as our king. We have experienced God’s love, and know the joys that come from following Jesus, our Savior and our King. Through all the seasons of our lives, God is with us, supporting and guiding us. That is how Christ is the King - nothing and no one else can make that claim. So, we proclaim, “Christ is King!”
In Christ,
Pastor Bakker
11May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully 12giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:11-14 (NRSV)
Grace and Peace to you!
November brings us the last two festival Sundays of the church year. One, All Saints Sunday, is on the first Sunday of the month and the other, Christ the King Sunday, is on the last Sunday of the month.
Many people may think of a ‘saint’ as being someone wearing an ancient costume with a halo around their head as seen in many stained-glass windows. But that’s not exactly right because the Bible teaches that all who have trusted in Jesus as their Savior are ‘saints’. When Paul wrote his letter to the Christians living in Rome, the address he put on the envelope was “To all God’s beloved in Rome who are called to be saints” (1:7). Like all of us, they weren’t perfect, but they were precious in God’s sight.
Saints are ordinary people who have given their heart to Jesus. And so, we are declared saints, we are invited to live our lives in response to that fact.
All Saints Sunday is a great day for us to remember people who believed in Jesus as their Savior and have departed from this world. All of us have people who we remember who are already with the Lord. Actually, it is very important for us because we want to follow the steps of maybe a father, an uncle, an aunt, grandparent, brother or sister who are already with the Lord who were very faithful to him. Their faith-filled lives are examples for us to follow.
Christ the King Sunday is the last Sunday in our liturgical year and it provides us an opportunity to acknowledge Christ as King of our lives. But just what do we mean when we say Christ is the “King?” Your answer to that question might depend upon what the word “King” means to you.
When you think of a king, do you think of someone who is on top of the world, or at least a country, someone with final say and authority? Usually this is thought to be a person of great power or charisma, or maybe a person who has played the political cards just right in order to keep atop the popularity wave. Or, in the case of a cruel and forceful king, we may see a ruler who cares little for other people or their opinions, and acts only to ensure their own well-being, even to the point of oppressing their subjects.
But Jesus was a different kind of king. He didn’t rule with an iron fist or cater to the whims of popularity. He didn’t wield control over nations or defeat massive empires. In fact, his kingdom was spread individual by individual, one person at a time.
Throughout the church year we see, time and time again, how Christ rules in our lives. We are called to acknowledge the many gifts our Lord gives us and we are empowered to put those gifts to service. Year after year we are reminded of the depth of God’s love for us as we learn about Jesus’ life and mission.
The seasons of the church year help us to refocus on what should be most important in our lives: who God is, what God is about and our calling to be the people of God in the world. Each season provides us with a different picture of Jesus. Each season shows us a different face of Christ as the Ruler of all.
Christ has touched our lives, and we have come to know Christ as our king. We have experienced God’s love, and know the joys that come from following Jesus, our Savior and our King. Through all the seasons of our lives, God is with us, supporting and guiding us. That is how Christ is the King - nothing and no one else can make that claim. So, we proclaim, “Christ is King!”
In Christ,
Pastor Bakker
11May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully 12giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:11-14 (NRSV)
