[RCL] Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24; Psalm 100; Ephesians 1:15-23; Matthew 25:31-46 Kings and rulers are not usually the most obvious or shining examples of spiritual faith. In fact, in today’s text from Ezekiel, the prophet has been called precisely because of the mistreatment of God’s people by Israel’s kings and leaders. At that time, kings were…

[RCL] Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24; Psalm 100; Ephesians 1:15-23; Matthew 25:31-46 It would be more appropriate to call this gloriously named Sunday “Christ the Shepherd Sunday” rather than Christ the King. The Old Testament lesson certainly gives us that impression, staying with the shepherd metaphor in vivid and dramatic language, focusing on God as the Great…

The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting colder, and the season after Pentecost is coming to a close. It is the longest season of the church year, marking the time by reminding us what it means to live as a disciple, be good stewards of what we have been given, and how to…

There is something terribly sad in today’s gospel reading, something so easy to miss that it eludes most of us. That’s probably because this is such a tempting story. It is one of the most straightforward of all the New Testament’s accounts of judgment; and one of the most fun. Here, judgment is connected to…

The celebration of Christ the King Sunday arose when Pope Pius XI found the increasing secularism of modern society eroding people’s faith. This was in 1925, and the Fascists under Mussolini were making their presence felt in Italy. Pius thought it was necessary to remind the faithful that whatever political powers might hold sway, ultimately,…

“Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Today, the twenty-eighth and last Sunday after Pentecost, brings to a conclusion the great – perhaps long is a better word for it – season of time after Pentecost. For that matter, it brings to an end the entire cycle of the church…

We have learned to embrace God as all-loving, all-caring, and all-forgiving. On this Christ the King Sunday we might imagine God as the ultimate benevolent ruler—one who takes care of his subjects and provides a peaceful, safe, and satisfying environment. Wouldn’t we be pleased with a ruler who welcomes everyone, outcasts and all, who tended…

Prayer: When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, all the nations will be gathered before him and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. The message for today is the Kingdom of Heaven, as it was for the…

Today is the Sunday of the Christian year that is sometimes called the Feast of Christ the King; it is the last Sunday before Advent. Sunday after Sunday, 52 Sundays of the year, we say out loud and together, “He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom…