Today we come to the end of the church year. Next week, we begin the season of Advent, a time of waiting for Jesus to be born. It seems fitting to go over some of the ways in which Jesus has entered our lives in the past year.
The Reign of Christ – in many churches the Feast of Christ the King – is a newer holiday. It was proclaimed by Pope Pius XI in 1925, perhaps to counterbalance the rising secular nationalism in many parts of the world. In the United Church, we may feel uncomfortable with the idea of emphasis on a heavenly king, and lean more towards the idea of Jesus as bearer of good news in the form of justice and inclusion. This is a good time to think about who Jesus is for each of us, so our service will contain different aspects of Jesus’ life, as well as the promise of resurrection.
Enter into this time of worship with open hearts, ready for change and growth in the coming year. Open yourselves to new ideas, and new ways of celebrating God’s presence among us.
