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Grace to you and peace, from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ! After a filling and fulfilling Thanskgiving holiday, we can look to tomorrow as a kind of New Years’ Eve in the Christian calendar. As such, we read texts assigned for what is variously called The Reign of Christ Sunday or Christ the King Sunday. I prefer the former, because of considering the entire world as God’s realm, and because of considering God’s “rulership” through Jesus to be so counter to our usual earthly notions of kingship. Still, elements of the texts from Ezekiel and Matthew do remind us that our sovereign requires of us behavior that is just and merciful. It is in regard to this that we hear familiar mention of sheep and goats–mention that may make us uncomfortable. That is the paradox of Jesus’ claim on our lives. We are asked to be uncomfortable if the way we live runs counter to the ways of justice and mercy. Let us move together from thanks giving to a deep desire for God’s reign on earth as we move toward the season of Advent, when we make ourselves ready for Jesus’ coming into the world in peace.
A reminder, too: our children will gather during worship to create Advent wreathes for their homes, leaving after the Children’s Message. Also, please mark your calendars for December 10th, when we will have our Quarterly Meeting following worship, accompanied by cookies and cocoa.
Blessings and deep peace to you, Lisa
Continue reading Sunday Worship November 26, 2023