The title of this article is somewhat misleading. I’m not referring to the generalized secular greeting of mirth that is shared during December. Rather, I mean the season of the Christian Year. You will receive this newsletter in a transitional week liturgically speaking. Last Sunday was the celebration of Christ the King. This coming Sunday will begin the season of Advent, preparing us for the celebration of the Incarnation at Christmas. What a blessed week this week is! ‘Tis the season for hope – not wishfulness – but a hope anchored in faith.
Christ the King Sunday reminds us that the goal of history is already in place – Jesus as Lord. The trajectory of history is already set. Just as all of creation came through God’s creative activity, so it ends with God’s redeeming grace. The engine of salvation history has already been started – the presence, power and grace of God is at work. Thus, on the grand scale of life, we need not fear. God is in control. God is eternal. Jesus the Christ sits enthroned at the right hand of God Almighty. Christ rules not through coercive power, but through love and mercy. This is our future. Thanks be to God!
In the meantime, as we wait for God’s plan to unfold, we wait with expectancy. Advent teaches us the three tenses of Christ’s coming: Christ has come, is coming now, and will come again. Emmanuel is not simply a past event, but a present possibility and a surety in the future. No matter our current experience, we can be assured that God sees our situation and hears our cries. Christ already is being born into our context and bringing hope, joy, love and peace. Thanks be to God.
‘Tis the season and it is an important season for all who are part of the Connection, work in a local church and simply live in this world. Christ is King and Christ is coming.
On Saturday, the called annual conference session ratified the disaffiliation of a number of churches in the North Carolina Annual Conference. Both in the conversations I have been a part of and those that I have overheard, somber feelings and sentiments were commonly expressed. These reflected a heaviness both on a personal level and for the connection. Yet, because Christ is King, I cannot despair. God is not finished with the people called United Methodist. The number of churches may be diminished, but God is not. The Holy Spirit continues to invigorate and inspire local churches in their quest for personal and social holiness. Jesus still enters our worship services and is present in our missions so that God’s kingdom work can be accomplished. Hear the good news, Christ is King and Christ is coming!
In every charge conference that has gathered this year, individuals shared laments, both personal and corporate. Some of these were deep and raw. Yet, despite situations of great difficulty, despair was rarely evident. In fact, it was challenging for people not to speak about hope for the future or identify God’s new creation in their midst. In each meeting, there was confidence that God was in control and that Christ was with them. In other words, Christ is King and Christ is coming!
Personally, we all face trials of various degrees. We also are able to name blessings. In the midst of all we face and all we experience, we can live in hope. God is not only the Lord of history, but the Lord of our lives. Christ not only comes to the world, but to each of us personally. We can entrust our future to a good and gracious God. We can be confident that Jesus will enter our situations and bring healing, growth and victory. Believe the good news, Christ is King and Christ is coming!
‘Tis the season – not for a façade of merriment, but a deep sense of hope and peace. Christ is King and Christ is coming. I pray that this truth will be your foundation.
