November 21, 2010

11/21/2010

 
Sermon Transcript: November 21, the Last Sunday after Pentecost The Feast of Christ the King                                           The Rev. R. Allan McCaslin Readings: Jeremiah 23:1-6; Canticle 4; Colossians 1:11-20; Luke 23:33-43

From this morning’s Gospel reading, “And the people stood by, watching…”  I speak to you in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

     Today we observe the Feast of Christ the King: The end of the Christian Year. This is the day we Christians celebrate Jesus Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We proclaim together Jesus Christ’s sovereign rule over all creation as we await his coming in glory.

     Luke tells us, “The people stood by, watching.” So much of the Christian message is about watching and waiting, anticipating God’s work among us. At Advent, we watch for the coming of Christ as a humble and vulnerable newborn baby just as we await his return at the Second Advent. At Easter, we watch and wait for news that our Lord has risen from the dead.  At Pentecost, we wait for the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Now, on this Feast of Christ the King, we watch and wait for our Lord’s glorious return not just as King of the Jews and head of the church, but as Lord and King of the universe. We long to see this Jesus face to face. It is a holy longing in our hearts and yet, the Christian faith is much more than watching and waiting. It is about proclaiming the kingdom of God. It is about action in the midst of watching for Christ’s return and seeking his presence among us.
 

November 14, 2010

11/14/2010

 
Sermon Transcript: November 14, the 25th Sunday after Pentecost The Rev. R. Allan McCaslin Readings: Isaiah 65:17-25; Canticle 9; II Thessalonians 3:6-13; Luke 21:5-19

From this morning’s reading from the Prophet Isaiah, “Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” I speak to you in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

     In 1607 at Jamestown, the first established English settlement in the New World we now call America, Captain John Smith grew discouraged – actually, he was downright disgusted, that there were many in the community who saw themselves as part of the nobility or the upper class and refused to do any work citing such was beneath them. Smith, a devout Christian committed to Christ, read his Bible every day. On one such occasion, he came across today’s Epistle reading from St. Paul’s Second Letter to the Thessalonians, “Anyone unwilling to work should not eat.” Smith, immediately, declared this scripture text to be the motto at Jamestown. Soon afterward, everyone was involved in building up the community planting fields, harvesting, and working together for the good of all. The threat of starvation meant that the people had to set aside their old patterns of separation and division. Sadly, St. Paul’s admonition to the Thessalonians has often been cited as a criticism of the Welfare State and I am all for requiring that everyone work together for the good of the community.