The Season of Reformation & Christ the King

I mentioned a couple months ago that we’d be using the Red Paraments more. We used them for a couple extra weeks in the spring as we focused on the work of the Holy Spirit among us. Then we placed the Green ones out, and they’ve been out all summer. We’ll be using the Red ones for Reformation Day (as is typical) on 10/29. But this year we’re going to leave them out until Christ the King Sunday (11/26).

This is more than just a matter of color choice—though the red ones are very pretty. The colors we use on the Altar and Lectern remind us of the Church Season we’re in. Each of the various Church Seasons have themes associated with them. Typically the whole period between Pentecost Day and the season of Advent falls into one, long, generic season with no specific focus besides “growth.” I’ve found this to be too long and bland to be particularly helpful. That’s why I’ve made it my practice to divide Pentecost Season (“Common Time”) into shorter, discrete periods, each with a clearer focus.

Under the traditional model, the Sundays from Reformation Day to the end of the Church Year (Christ the King Sunday) bear 3 separate themes—all totally unrelated to each other. This year we’re going to consolidate them into a single season with a single, distinct theme: Reforming our hearts to be in-tune with our King, Jesus.

To frame this focus we’ll use a liturgy which I’ve crafted mostly out of the mysterious (and sometimes creepy) Book of Revelation. The Greek name for this book is ’Αποκαλυπςιν…it’s the word we get “apocalypse” from. Apocalypse has come to mean some sort of devastation or great destruction. BUT in Jesus’ time, it didn’t mean that at all. It meant to reveal a hidden reality—like showing the true bones of a building that’s hidden behind the thin veneer or “façade” visible on the surface.

The Bible tells us that Jesus IS King of our world NOW. Someday he will strip the veneer away and everyone will see this reality. But for now Christians are supposed to remember that despite what we see in our world, Jesus is actually already reigning. That doesn’t mean he’s causing bad things to happen; that’s the work of the defeated, but still dangerous Evil One. Jesus is working in opposition to him, and is seeking to birth his “New Creation,” and he’s using us to help bring that about. In order for us to better participate in building God’s Kingdom, we need to keep our eyes on Jesus, our true King. May the Holy Spirit help us to do that!

Pastor Derek