26 November 2023

Ezekiel 34.11–16, 20–24;

Psalm 95.1–7;

Ephesians 1.15–end;

Matthew 25.31–end

11 am

SERMON CHRIST THE KING / HANNAH’S LAST SUNDAY / STIR UP SUNDAY
In the name of God the Father, Christ the King, and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

If you were to be made a monarch, what kind of king or queen would you be?  I’ve never fancied it myself, partly because any role that keeps you constantly in the public eye and scrutiny must be exhausting.  I’m sure I would say something facetious that would end up in the newspapers, because although it took me just under two years to learn how to talk, and I have spent the subsequent years struggling to work out when it is the time to shut up! 

 When I draw a crown, it tends to have three pointy bits with round gems on the top.  Today’s sermon is brought to you by three pointy bits: Kingship, today’s celebrant, and Stir up Sunday.

 First, kingship.  At the start of Disney’s The Lion King, Simba sings the song ‘I just can’t wait to be king.’  He claims he will be a mighty king, the mane event.  He naively thinks he won’t have to follow anyone’s instructions and that he will be free to run around all day, doing things his way.  One of my favourite lines is that he’s working on his roar!

 In a classic example of ‘be careful what you wish for’, Simba’s journey to kingship is a rough one, with loss and betrayal to overcome. 

It made me think of His Majesty, The King.  I wonder if he ever watched the film and agreed with Simba’s sentiments?  Maybe he even sang along?  I hope so.  He certainly had many years to work on his roar.  He finally became king, but it came at the cost of the death of his mother, the Late Queen, and taking up this role at an age and stage when most people are taking a step back, not forward.  It isn’t all fun and games.  And whilst Simba looked forward to being in the spotlight, it can’t be much fun.

 Today is Christ the King, and so we celebrate Jesus as ruler over all creation.  The Church of England’s website says, ‘The annual cycle of the Church’s year now ends with the Feast of Christ the King.  The year that begins with the hope of the coming Messiah ends with the proclamation of his universal sovereignty.’ 

A relatively new festival, it dates back only to 1925.  Pope Pius XVI (16th) introduced it in the aftermath of WWI; whilst there was an end to hostilities, there wasn’t true peace.  The Russian revolution, increasing nationalism elsewhere showed that, yet again, both earthly leaders and earthly peace were flawed.  We needed to be reminded that the rule of Christ, the King of Kings, and Prince of Peace, was what we needed.  Worldy power is often gained, maintained and then lost using violence, fear and abuse of the most vulnerable.  Christ’s rule was not through conflict, but peace.  His kingship offers – not imposes – love, light and life eternal.

 Although you would be within your rights to say that the festival is an engineered one, the idea is not.  The concept of Jesus as King is biblical, as is the concept of Jesus as a shepherd.  In our Old Testament lesson, the prophecy from Ezekiel, tells us how the Messiah will behave towards us: he will search for us and seek us out, he will rescue us when we are lost, he will feed us and care for us and save us.  Today’s psalm reminds us that the Lord is a great God and has dominion over everything.  He is our God; we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. 

 The reality of Christ the King is not necessarily the image people would have had – and still have – of a king.  Aquinas, the medieval monk, theologian, and philosopher said we should talk about God using analogy – a comparison of different things.  We can’t use literal language to describe and understand God because we can’t possibly understand him.  But the analogy of Jesus as a king, and as a shepherd, show us that Jesus is, in the words of the Marks and Spencer’s adverts, so much more than a human shepherd or a king. 

 Another reason why the reality of Christ’s kingship was unexpected, is that Jesus was a servant king.  As a servant king, he turns things upside down, upsetting the status quo.  His separation of the sheep and the goats – I haven’t got time today to talk more about them or say how goats get a bad press here…just watching a clip of baby goats in Pyjamas jumping around will give you a boost when you’re feeling a bit blue – isn’t about whether people have held the right beliefs or got their religious rituals correct – though those are important - but how much they have lived out their kingdom values.  “…for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”  Being alongside people at their most vulnerable is being alongside Jesus.

 It is ironic that me, someone who is not a natural monarchist, is on the rota for Christ the King!  Though I am uncomfortable with the costs incurred by the monarchy, I was really impressed with ‘The Big Help Out’ event on the extra bank holiday after King Charles’ coronation.  With the strapline “lend a hand and make a change”, over 6 million people got involved in activities ranging from popping in to visit an elderly neighbour living on their own, to cleaning beaches, or volunteering for charities.  There is talk of making this a regular event and I hope it takes off.  Is this an opportunity to show our king’s earthly vision of the Gospel reading?  I’d like to think so.

 Since 1932 the monarch’s Christmas Day speech has become a fixture as it reflects on events in the past year and gives a clear Christian message.  As Advent Sunday is next week, we have come to the end of this Church year.  Towards the end of a calendar year, we might reflect on the events of the last year, considering the highs and lows, and what they wish for the year to come; I usually lament the fact that I haven’t lost any weight or written the book I have been planning for years, or worked out how to function as a night owl in a society run by early birds

 We come to the end of another liturgical year in the life of Portsmouth Cathedral.  What do you think has worked?  What do you think we could do better?  No immediate feedback necessary…you’re probably thinking ‘will she please stop asking questions and get on with it!’  Next Sunday gives us the chance to start afresh.  In fact, every time we receive the absolution after the confession, we are given the chance to start afresh.  What might you do differently?  It is an exciting time for each and every one of us.  And yet, with the end of another year, there is often a tinge of regret and sadness of what we have left behind, which leads me to my second and third pointy bits on the crown.

 Today is Hannah’s last Sunday with us.  Tomorrow she and her dog, Alfie, move to Gloucester to live with her fiancée Molly, who has just started a curacy in the Diocese of Gloucester.  and Hannah will begin the new Church year exploring job opportunities over there.  Our loss is very much their gain, and their gain is very much our loss.

 When I think about today’s post communion prayer for today I think of Hannah.  Here it is:

Stir up, O Lord,

the wills of your faithful people;

that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may by you be plenteously rewarded;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 Today is also known as Stir up Sunday because of that collect, and many people refer to it as such rather than Christ the King; this is often the time when folks stir up their Christmas puddings.  For the lay clerks of the cathedral choir, each time they meet is a stir up day.  At the annual choir dinner, an enormous wooden spoon is awarded to the person believed to have done the most stirring in the last year.  The current recipient is Mr Gunga.  Tune in next year for updates.  It does get quite competitive!

 Hannah has certainly stirred us up Portsmouth Cathedral!  She has challenged us whilst loving us; she challenges us to think about our attitude to one another, to those on the margins in society, and our attitude to God, in the victory and the humility.  Faithful people can have stubborn wills, as indeed does Hannah, but she is unrelenting in her mission to see situations from both a heavenly perspective and from that of the most vulnerable.  The world needs more people like Hannah.  She has been alongside people at their most vulnerable, been alongside Jesus.  She has definitely brought forth the fruit of good works in her ministry with our congregations, but particularly with Pompey Tots and the junior choristers.  In this week’s notices there’s a photo of Hannah working with the junior boy choristers exploring the theme of Christ the King.  She looks most fetching in a crown! 

 Hannah has done what no cathedral curate has ever done before – she went as a matron on the Cathedral Choir tour to Sweden earlier this year.  And she even returned in one piece.  I think we will see the fruits of your labours live on, and I hope that we can do a good job as we continue your work, while you are stirring up your next congregation. 

 Hannah goes with our love and prayers and someone else’s blessing because as a lay reader that is not in my gift; in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he writes, “I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love towards all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.”  This is true.  I will continue to give thanks for you.  We give thanks to God for the gift of Hannah among us, along with the sadness that he is moving her on!  But that is the way of old years ending and new ones beginning.  We can’t have one without the other. 

 And so, we are all tasked with thinking about the areas in our individual and common life that are not ruled by Christ the King.  What is governed by fear?  Insecurities?  What will help us to bring forth the fruit of good works through Jesus Christ, our King?  Let’s cultivate an Advent attitude of gratitude.  The gratitude that Paul describes should be the lens through which we see and respond to others.  It mirrors the kindness, compassion and occasional clip around the ear that comes from the Christ our king.  You can go home and stir up your Christmas puddings, whilst thinking about these things, and I look forward to wishing you a happy new year next week.  Amen.

 Kitty Price, Cathedral Reader.