Reign of Christ the King

REING OF CHRIST THE KING
The NYE of our liturgical year

The Eternal reigns, clothed in majesty; He is dressed in power; He has surrounded Himself with strength. He has established the world, and it will never be toppled. Your throne was established from the beginning of the world, O God, and You are everlasting.

Psalm 93 The VOICE

This is the last Sunday in our liturgical year, the Sunday before Advent begins. Wether you’re following along the Revised Common or Narrative Lectionary this is a day to contemplate what kingship looks like in Christ. It can be an awkward Sunday. It’s not a well-known one and folks have rightly reflected on the troubling imperial, or colonial, nature of seeing Jesus as king. So, how can we celebrate this Sunday together, drawing good things out of our biblical text, out of our tradition, and from our own experiences? Well, let’s see…

Exploring Our History

Did you know the Feast of Christ the King has only been around since 1925? That means it is as old as the United Church of Canada! But, of course, the idea of Jesus as king has been around long before. You could explore some of the writings that bring us this image from the Psalms, Gospels or even theologians like Cyril of Alexandria.

This is also a great opportunity to explain the Liturgical Calendar to our families. Perhaps you want to consider posting a large liturgical calendar in your sanctuary which families can consult to see where we are in the year.

Party Likes it's December 31st!

We love a good New Year’s Eve party, and this Sunday is like the NYE party of the church. So, why not have some fun with party hats, sparklers, streamers and other fun? We’ve had a pretty rough go of it as a community during this pandemic and there’s nothing wrong with letting loose and celebrating another year done all together.

Kingship and the Upside-Down Kingdom

One of Tori’s favourite readings for this Sunday is Pilate’s interrogation of Jesus (RCL B, John 18:33-37). Jesus points to a very different kind of kingdom than the one Pilate knows. What does this different kingdom look like? How does Jesus subvert kingship with his radical teachings of the the greatest being the servant, of the last coming first?

Break out into small groups and each take one of Jesus parables for the Kingdom of God. What do each of these stories tell us about this strange kingdom? Have the families, or small groups, draw a picture to go along with their story.

Dream big together, what would the “kingdom come” look like to you? I explored this question with some children and was very interested in an eight year-old’s take on God’s dream for our world. She was adamant that there would be “no bullies” in God’s kingdom come. This activity can be down as a brainstorm on a big sheet of paper, or try creating your “kingdom come on earth” out of play-dough!

seasonal printables

Want more ideas?

Jesus, Glue & Glitter