Sermon preached by Jack Nietert at the Episcopal Church on Edisto on Christ the

King Sunday, 22 November 2015.

Today we extend a special welcome to those who are single, married,

divorced, gay, filthy rich, dirt poor or do not speak English. We extend a special
welcome to those who are crying newborns, skinny as a rail or who could afford to
lose a few pounds. We welcome you if you can sing like a songbird or like a
squawking egret. You are welcome here if you are just browsing, just woke up or
just got out of jail. We dont care if you are more catholic than the Pope or havent
been to church since you were baptized. And we extend a special welcome to those
who are over 60 but not grown up yet and to teenagers who are growing up too
fast. We welcome soccer moms and NASCAR dads, starving artists, tree-huggers,
latte sippers, vegetarians and junk food eaters. We welcome those who are in
recovery or are still addicted. We welcome you if you are having problems or you
are down in the dumps or if you dont like organized religion. If you blew all of your
offering money on fantasy football youre welcome here. We offer a special
welcome to those who think the earth is flat, or work too hard, or dont work at all,
or cant spell or even if you are here just because your mother is in town and
wanted to go to church. We welcome those who are tattooed or pierced or both,
and we offer a special welcome to those who could use a prayer right now, or who
had religion shoved down their throats as a kid, or got lost and wound up here by
mistake. We welcome tourists, seekers and doubters, bleeding hearts and yes,
even YOU. We are glad you are here! Please keep coming.
I have to confess that some of this came from a church bulletin, but I thought
it applied here as we seek to be always indiscriminately inclusive. Scary isnt it
because that is what our King orders. Today is Christ the King Sunday. And we are
alright with a Savior. Everyone wants a Savior, but a King a Lord? Thats going to
meddling!
Our Psalm for today Psalm 93 can be applied to the Risen Lord just as
easily as to Abba, Father. The Lord is king. God has put on splendid apparel. He
has made the world so sure, that it cannot be moved. Mightier than the sound of
many waters, mightier is the Lord who dwells on high.
All this serves to proclaim that ever since the world began, Gods throne has
been established, and Pilate, in todays Gospel passage, interviewing the battered
and bleeding Jesus, asks, skeptically, Are you a King? And Pilate asks that question
as Jesus stands humiliated, scorned and mocked. He looks like a criminal not like
one whose throne has been established from everlasting.
Back then there were questions and there are many questions today, If Jesus
is the Prince of Peace and king of Glory, why are there wars? If Christ is king, why
do so many of his subjects lack the basic necessities of life? food? Clothing?
Shelter? Dignity? If he is more majestic than the thunder of many waters, why do
so few listen to him today?
Jesus the King quietly answers these questions My kingship is not from this
world. One flowing moment of the Colorado River did not form the Grand Canyon.

The power of love unleashed does not conquer the worlds problems with a single
wave. The Kingship of Christ does not reorder chaos all at once.
The King does not use the power of might He uses the magnet of love as
waves of believers come to follow him and as his disciples, it is our job to make
new disciples. The apocalyptic message is that the time is being prepared for the
final crumbling of the rock. We are the witnesses to the regal majesty that is
coming.
When I first came to SC in 1975 our Bishop was Gray Temple a delightful
man. When asked to pray Gods blessing at a feast or family meal, he would always
end the prayer by saying, and finally, may we come to feast with you at your
heavenly banquet but not today.
Well, the day is coming when all the hungry will be filled thats our job
when every homeless person will find shelter thats our job too when each
human soul will discover its true worth thats our job too - and the tears will be
wiped away from every eye and thats out job too.
Christs rule began in Palestine. His throne was a cross. He rules now in
heaven and on earth and over all of creation, and in us.
I want to share a story with you a true story. Chris and I fly to Portland, OR
several times a year to visit son, Thomas, and his family. I want to tell you about
one visit last year. We stayed at a little guest house a block from their home
space-wise, its just easier that way. Friday night, Penny, aged 3 agreed to spend
the night with us it turned out to be a very long night, but by dawn all was well
and the experience worthwhile. Saturday night Miss Penny really wanted to spend
another night with us. She was very tired - we all were and we all went to sleep
relatively early. Great, but that meant we were all up and ready to face the new day
at 5:30 am daylight saving time ended that night which means it was 4:30 am
body time. We decided to go for a walk. It was dark, cold and rainy. We came to a
street with a bus route and Penny wanted to go for a ride on the bus and so we got
on the bus and rode to downtown Portland, with Penny singing about the wheels on
the bus going round, round, round, much to the delight of the bus driver and the
two other passengers. Now, there is not much going on in downtown Portland on a
Sunday morning at 7 am especially when its cold and rainy. The welcoming lights
were on at one corner. It was MacDonalds. We went in to have a warm, dry place to
sit and have a bit to eat. It turns out that this particular MacDonaalds is a
welcoming place for many of Portlands homeless people. It is an articulated policy
of this store. We sat in a booth with Chris and Penny facing me across the table.
My view was of them and a man at the next table, and no matter what I did, my
eyes were drawn to him. He sat there, bundled up, sipping a cup of coffee and
counting and recounting a few coins. I could not turn my eyes from him. After
watching a while I did something I felt I had to do not something I would have done
automatically I grew up in NYC we never even made eye contact, especially with
homeless people. I got up and went to the restroom and when I came back to the
table, as I passed his table I bent down to pick up the dollars I had crumpled up in
my hand and gave it to that man and said, This must be yours and I didnt wait
for a reply, but went to our table. We got up and left a few minutes later and the
man said to me, Have a good day.

I met Jesus the King that rainy Sunday morning at MacDonalds in Portland,
OR. I can still see his face.
Your turn. Go look for Jesus the King yourself. +