Christ the King

Today is the last Sunday of the liturgical year, the last Sunday after the feast day of
Pentecost, the Sunday also known as Christ the King Sunday, although in more
politically correct circles it has been renamed the Reign of Christ Sunday because
no one wants to use a term considered imperialistic or even as mildly sexist as the
word “ King.” Many people are enamored with the English royal family. My late
mother-in-law, Markie Vandiver, was a walking encyclopedia of royal family
knowledge, and not just the current Windsor family but way back through history.
And I’m certain that when Queen Elizabeth entered the greater life a few weeks
ago, that at heaven’s gate alongside Saint Peter and Prince Philip and other
deceased royals that my late mother-in- law, Markie, somehow wormed her way
through the family to be one of the first to welcome Elizabeth. On the other hand
you have folks who have no use for the royal family or the concept of a King, even
there in Britain. I watched a segment the other night of the English comedian,
John Oliver, and he was reacting to all the attention the royal family was getting
and his perspective was very negative and he made a good argument for not having
a King which really challenged my neutrality about the whole issue. Of course as
Americans we can afford to be neutral and view the monarchy as a quant custom. I
suspect, as U.S. Citizens, we have less concern about the term, “king,” since we've
not paid tribute in any way to a king for over 200 years, unless of course, you
count Elvis, the king of rock n roll. Since we’ve not been victims of abusive kings
we don’t carry the same baggage around the term as say someone who suffered
under various dictators and despots over the years who proclaimed themselves the
King of whatever.

In the Gospel appointed for Christ the King Sunday, we have Jesus portrayed, not
as a king, but as a prisoner being crucified between two criminals. Not very

King-like and in fact he is mocked by the soldiers. And what would that say about
the kingdom this crucified King Jesus would rule over? Where is this king’s
palace? Where’s all the royal stuff we’d expect to see with a King?

This time of year, the grand opening of the Christmas shopping season, we hear a
great deal about the sin of materialism. We are often challenged to re-think all of
our Christmas shopping madness. I hear people say they’re swearing off Christmas
presents as a protest to gross materialism etc. I saw a photo meme on Facebook and
the caption had two words in bold print. Behind the two words were two scenes, on
one side was a horrific photograph of tiny emaciated children with their hands
extended begging and on the other side was a scene from a shopping mall where
two different persons had carts that were so full of stuff that they could hardly
maneuver and the two words were, “DEFINE NECESSITY.”

I’ll be the first to say that this world and the holiday season are really out of
balance, but ultimately the real spiritual danger of materialism isn’t the amount of
stuff accumulated, but rather the idea, the belief, that all this material stuff is all
there is, that if we surround ourselves with enough material stuff, and earthly
stature, and physical accoutrements of this world, we will somehow be safe and
protected and forever content. But the fact is too much of that stuff in our lives we
will smother our spirits and souls to the true kingdom of God, it can block the
spiritual truth that can allow us to feel the pain and the hunger of those children
with their hands extended , or the needs of those who walk the streets of
Russellville, or the emotional and spiritual struggle of those sitting next to us in
church, or even... our own pain that we have buried deeply within ourselves.

Jesus Christ the King, invites us to another kind of Kingdom, a kingdom that is
Truth, a kingdom where God has made the world so sure that it cannot be moved, a
kingdom where justice will roll down like a river, and righteousness like an
ever-flowing stream. Jesus is saying “it isn’t about my being king in the earthly,

material, temporal sense, but it is about a kingdom, a different realm of being, the
kingdom of God that is not of this world and that is in fact, what I was born for,
that’s why I came into the world, to testify to that Truth and if you belong to the
Truth, if the Truth owns you, if the Truth is your home where you live, then you
can hear my voice.”

In the coming months as I work with you as your Interim Rector I hope that the
Truth of Jesus Christ the King will cast a great light on this parish as we struggle
together to find a new path for All Saints Church. May God open our hearts to
God’s Word made flesh in the person Jesus Christ, so that we may hear the Truth
that will transform this world and set us free. AMEN.

The Rev. Dennis Campbell

November 20, 2022
All Saints’ Episcopal Church