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The feast of Christ the King, coming as it does, right at the end of the church year, is a feast full of paradox. Next week advent will begin – we will look ahead to the humble birth of Christ as a homeless refugee baby, the beginnings of our salvation story. The shops of course would have us leap ahead not just to advent, to that season of waiting, of preparation, but to Christmas itself. In fact they have been working on that since about September! But today, this feast at the end of the liturgical year, gives us opportunity to reflect on the kingship of Christ, and what it has meant to us to be people of his kingdom over the past twelve months. We do so aware that Jesus is a different kind of king, with a different kind of kingdom
This king came not to be served, but to serve; this is a king whose kingdom is drastically different from the earthly kingdoms with which we are more familiar; a king whose power is made perfect in his weakness; a king who mingles with the meek and parties with the poor; a king who models for us what it means to live as citizens of a different kind of kingdom, often in ways which disturb and challenge us. Because, if we’re honest, most of us would rather be disciples, followers, of a king with the trappings of royalty which are more familiar – prestige, palaces, power. That kind of king, that kind of kingdom, is a little more comfortable.
The kingdom of God is a multi-layered theme which permeates the whole of scripture. The OT is full of stories of kings – good kings, bad kings; kings who reigned for many years; kings who were toppled from their throne in days; kings who led their subjects wisely, kings who were corrupt and conniving; kings who tried to follow God’s ways with varying degrees of commitment, and kings who set themselves up in opposition to God’s rule. King David, appointed by God, a king to be shepherd over God’s people – a king who did a better job of shepherding than many of the others, but still fell short in his kingly function. He was, after all, human. Human and flawed like the rest of us.
Then comes the NT, the dawn of a new age, the age of the kingdom of God, which Jesus inaugurates. Jesus talked all the time about the kingdom of God. He told parables, stories, painted word pictures to show what it was like – a mustard seed, seeds sown on different ground, yeast, a pearl, treasure – so many different things.
He also said it was here, it was coming soon, it was near, we should pray for it to come. All a bit confusing and contradictory. Is it here, or not, this kingdom of God? Good question? And the answer is, well yes, and no! It’s both here, and not yet here. It’s a different kind of kingdom, for which different rules of time and space apply.
When Jesus talked about the kingdom of God being near, he was signalling that his arrival was significant. Jesus’ kingship, in a sense, was only fully ratified when God raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the age to come. It was as Jesus conquered death and his earthly mission was accomplished that he became king of kings. And yet he was who he was from the beginning of all time, and what he is, was, and will be, stands in the age to come as well, whatever that may be! A different kind of king. A different kind of kingdom.
So it’s different because it’s a heavenly realm kingdom, not bound by time and space. It’s different because it’s the kingdom of God. It’s different because it’s a supernaturally charged kingdom in which miracles happen, and in which we live for eternity. It’s different because its king is the son of God. The son of God! No ordinary, earthly king. The king of kings.
These are all huge, mind blowing and complex differences. Spiritual concepts which stretch us, rightly, beyond our human limitations. A different king of king, a different kind of kingdom.
Asking for God’s kingdom to come, as we do whenever we pray the Lord’s prayer, is asking . for a kingdom to come where different rules apply, where the powerless are empowered, the sick healed, the lonely invited into community, the captives set free ……. And not sometime in the future, but now, on earth as it is in heaven. Because the kingdom of God isn’t just about the future. For Christians eternity began the moment we acknowledged Jesus. The kingdom of God is now.
That’s why we are called, as Christians in the Diocese of Worcester, to be and grow as Kingdom People. Not because it’s a catchy phrase to put on our websites and publicity, but because it’s core to being Christian. If we are here to worship Christ, the king of kings, then as his people, citizens of his kingdom, we live with the ‘different kind of kingdom’ values. We have, in effect, dual citizenship.
The values Jesus models can be summarised as love, compassion, justice and freedom. They are the values, which when lived out wholeheartedly, bring the kingdom of God into the now, rather than the not yet. These are the values which signpost to others that there is more, there is something of eternal significance to be engaged with, there is a parallel way of regarding life, the universe and everything which has timeless, eternal significance. And God our father has entrusted us with that message. He has equipped us through the Holy Spirit as our kingdom inheritance, so we can live like children of a different kind of king – co-heirs with the king of kings.
The kingdom people vision is one of the key things which first attracted me to this diocese, and which keeps me here, because I believe when we really grasp the concept of God’s kingdom reality being for the here and now, it changes every aspect of how we live. Our vision is one of kingdom rather than church because it’s all encompassing. It’s about what happens outside the doors of this building as much, or perhaps even more, than what happens inside. As we grow as kingdom people we aim to share hope and transform our communities, as well as worshipping God in ways accessible to all so we can make disciples.
As we come together to encounter God in worship, we aim to learn and grow, and get to know the king of kings so we can live our lives according to his model. Our calling to grow as Kingdom People is to live as those who reflect God's loving, compassionate, just and liberating life now: to live as signs of the Kingdom to others. I try to teach about these aims and values and why we seek to grow as kingdom people everywhere I go, because it’s so important!
To join in the adventure of living as kingdom people, citizens of a different kind of kingdom, with a different kind of king, is something I pray for, for all in this diocese.
This Sunday is often referred to as ‘stir up Sunday’, not as some would think, to do with making Christmas puds, but because in the post communion prayer we ask God to stir us up to bring forth the fruit of good works. Let’s allow ourselves to be stirred up by the challenges of living in a different kind of kingdom, thankful for the selfless and sacrificial love of our different kind of king.
Amen.