Christ the King Sunday culminates our church calendar year. Don explained that we start the year with Advent celebrating his coming as King and end the year celebrating his forever reign as King.
Some of us may have a hard time thinking of Jesus as our King since we don’t live under a king’s rule these days. Kings had a wide range of power and authority and sometimes were ascribed or claimed divinity. The king was to be feared, revered and obeyed — as a life or death limited choice.
When we worship Jesus as King, you will notice hymns, songs, collects and prayers all remind us of his merciful, benevolent, sacrificial nature in contrast to the kings of the world who were often haughty, dispassionate and cruel. Simply, humanity can never measure up to divinity. In the words of a contemporary song, our God is an awesome God!
Our God is an Awesome God!
He Reigns from Heaven Above
With Wisdom, Power and Love, our God is an Awesome God!
Rich Mullins, 1988. Lyrics Listen
Don took us to page 91 of the Book of Common Prayer to read through The Song of Zechariah from Luke 1: 57-79 to show us another snapshot of who God is from the prophetic mouth of Zechariah as he soon as he was able to speak again after the birth of his son, John the Baptist, who would proclaim the coming of the King of Israel.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old,
that he would save us from our enemies, *
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers *
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, *
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship him without fear, *
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
Notice the words:
“free” vs. enslaved, as many kings’ subjects were
“promises” and “covenant” vs. whims and edicts
“mercy” vs. hate
“worship without fear”
THE LITANY OF THE KING is a responsorial prayer that Don found and edited. It could be used as a morning or evening prayer during Advent.
CROWN HIM WITH MANY CROWNS
Text Matthew Bridges, Godfrey Thring Music George Elvey
Public Domain . LISTEN
1. Crown Him with many crowns,
The Lamb upon His throne.
Hark! How the heavenly anthem drowns
All music but its own.
Awake, my soul and sing of Him
Who died for thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless King
Through all eternity.
2. Crown Him the Lord of love,
Behold His hands and side,
Rich wounds, yet visible above,
In beauty glorified.
No angel in the sky
Can fully bear that sight,
But downward bends His wond’ring eye
At mysteries so bright.
3. Crown Him the Lord of life,
Who triumphed o’er the grave,
Who rose victorious to the strife
For those He came to save.
His glories now we sing,
Who died, and rose on high
Who died eternal life to bring,
And lives that death may die.
4. Crown Him the Lord of heav’n,
One with the Father known,
One with the Spirit through Him giv’n
From yonder glorious throne,
To Thee be endless praise
For Thou for us hast died;
Be Thou, O Lord, through endless days
Adored and magnified.
5. Crown Him the Lord of years,
The Potentate of time,
Creator of the rolling spheres,
Ineffably sublime.
All hail, Redeemer, hail!
For Thou has died for me;
Thy praise shall never, never fail
Throughout eternity.
THE KING OF LOVE
Stuart Townend & Kevin Jamieson
LISTEN
His eyes are fire, His face is light,
The First and Last, the Living One,
His name is Jesus.
And from His mouth there comes a sound
That shakes the earth and splits the ground,
And yet this voice is life to me,
The voice of Jesus.
And I will sing my songs of love,
Calling out across the earth;
The King has come,
The King of love has come.
And troubled minds can know His peace,
Captive hearts can be released;
The King has come,
The King of love has come.
My Lover’s breath is sweetest wine,
I am His prize, and He is mine;
How can a sinner know such joy?
Because of Jesus.
The wounds of love are in His hands,
The price is paid for sinful man;
Accepted child, forgiven son,
Because of Jesus.
And my desire is to have You near,
Lord, You know that You are welcome here.
Before such love, before such grace
I will let the walls come down.
