Christ the King Sunday: A Different Kind of King

One year ago, I was a new Methodist Sunday School teacher. I didn't know what I believed.

I began teaching the first Sunday in November, and our theme for the month was thankfulness. We celebrated All Saints Day with gratitude for saints and the church universal, Veterans Day with gratitude for veterans and God's protection, National Bible Week with gratitude for scripture, and ended the month with Christ the King Sunday before moving into Advent - a season of waiting for God in the form of a baby.

At this time, I really had no idea what I believed, especially about Jesus. I didn't even know if I believed in Jesus! But here I was, writing a lesson on Christ the King?

I decided to focus on the figure of Jesus Christ in the gospels and the way that this character is presented as a king utterly opposed to the kings of his day. Christ is King of the World, as Natalie Grant sings, but He is a different kind of King. Jesus is not greedy but generous, not violent and warring but gentle and kind, not a dictator but a servant. The people were expecting a king and they got something completely different.

Christ is in charge of this whole thing. I believe in the Christ principle - as the spirit or energy that animates and courses through the universe, in each of us. Some might call it the Light of Christ, the Inner Light, or the atman. But that principle, that true self, I believe, is pure, true, loving, and ruler of all. And I devote myself to the pursuit of this principle within myself by worship the anthropomorphic Jesus Christ, a character described in the New Testament, the Book of Mormon, and other texts.

Christ the King Sunday recognizes Christ as King and Ruler over all the earth. We recognize our submission and obedience to Christ. We rely on Christ and we remind ourselves that evil does not rule, but Christ does. Love does. Love is in charge. NO matter how dark it looks, Christ is in charge.

I focus my trust on King Jesus as a different kind of King. We have lots of thoughts about what kings are like. And Jesus, with all his power, is none of those. And I am so grateful and willing to submit my life to this gentle, generous, different kind of servant King. My Lord and my God!

Anna the Prophetess: Luke 2:21-38