Sunday is the Feast of Christ the King

 The Final Sunday in the Christian Liturgical Year is the Feast of Christ the King (some refer to the day as the Feast of the Reign of Christ). The day serves two functions. It is a natural end to the progression that commenced last Advent. Liturgically we have moved from anticipation to arrival to Passion and Resurrection and into a celebration of Pentecost and the work of the Holy Spirit in Creation. And just as a birthday celebration marks the end of one year and the beginning of another in our personal lives, so this observance ties off the loose ends of an entire year’s practice and sets the stage for another cycle. The day also serves as a bridge between end of the world language of the end of a year and the futuristic lessons that we will begin reading in Advent.

The titles for the day can muddy the waters of understanding at times. “Christ the King” is the historical title for the day. It is rich in biblical imagery and the church frequently employs the phrase in its theology. In recent times some people have raised objections to the term, claiming that it focuses exclusively on the maleness of Jesus and excludes anyone but a male from the role of ruler. There are those also who take exception to the dynastic and imperial imagery of “king,” and they prefer the alternative “Reign of Christ.”

As much as we might sympathize with the intent of such observations, I would offer a caution in using purely democratic terminology. We do not elect Christ as our Lord. We do not follow a representative process in order to define our relationship to Christ. I agree that the language of the Bible is a product of its time(s), but I truly cannot imagine any other model that captures the essence of what it means to devote one’s life to Jesus. Terms like “Lord,” “Master,” or “King” carry the sense of a superior and inferior, of a teacher and learner, and of one who gives direction and one who must follow.”

“Christ the King” is also a promise. It anticipates a day when all of creation will acknowledge Jesus as Sovereign. It is inappropriate that we should water down such a day in order to accommodate sensibilities. It is a day of “Crown Him with Many Crowns,” and “Jesus Shall Reign Where’re the Sun.” Christ is King!