Feast of Christ the King: The Knock at the Door
Sunday, November 24, is designated not only as The Reign of Christ Sunday, it is also the celebration of Student Day in The United Methodist Church. Christ the King Sunday and the Solemnity of Our Lord, as it is also known, is the most recent feast day added to the liturgical calendar of the church by Pope Pious XI in 1925 to highlight the influence of Christ in the achievement of peace following World War I. Pope Pious was attempting to counter the emerging notion that WWI had ended because of the conquest of nations or through world domination. Instead, peace is achieved through the dominion of Christ who is Lord of all the universe—all things are subject to Christ. Dominion is not seized by violence or usurped, rather it is achieved by the essence and nature of Christ as expressed in the hypostatic union.
The Reign of Christ Sunday marks the final Sunday in the liturgical year. It is the Sunday that precedes the beginning of the season of Advent. When the cross of Christ is raised as the implement of the power and presence of Christ, the will of God is made manifest. Accordingly, “The Feast of Christ the King has an eschatological dimension, pointing to the end of time when the kingdom of Jesus will be established in all its fullness to the ends of the earth.”
The hymn “Lift High the Cross” is often heralded as one of the great processional hymns of the church in the Anglican tradition. The article in Discipleship Ministries notes, the hymn “was written for a festival service under the auspices of an important mission organization, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, held in Winchester Cathedral in 1887 by George William Kitchen (1883-1894), Dean of the Cathedral.” The article further notes, “Lift high the cross” incorporates an important feature of processionals: the crucifer (cross-bearer) leads the stately procession down the long nave, lifting the cross high. This ritual use of the cross is a sign of the victory of the resurrection and finds a biblical basis in John 12:32, “And I, when I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (NRSV).
As we rejoice in the fulfillment of God’s will for our lives and for the mission of the church, we celebrate the ministries that are currently sustained at both campuses of Christ United Methodist Church in East Moline and Silvis, especially as we witness the expanding impact of the food pantries. I was unable to complete the article for the MidWeekNews by the Wednesday deadline because the words simply would not come. However, in the wee hours of Thursday morning, the title “A Knock at the Door” came to me as clearly as a familiar memory. I was completely awed when I discovered a book written by Rob Parsons entitled “A Knock at the Door” that was published November 21, 2024! I would not have been able to find that title on Wednesday because the book had not yet been published. It was only available after midnight!
Even more startling was the recollection of events during the staff meeting at the Silvis campus Wednesday afternoon. We were interrupted by the sound of a honking car horn. We assumed it was a neighbor coming to receive food from the food pantry. When a member of the staff went to the door to explain that the hours for the food pantry were later in the day, she returned with a handful of cash. She explained that the person at the door had handed it to her and simply stated that years earlier, the food pantry had blessed them and they wanted to make a donation!
The miracles and blessings of the afternoon continued because of the end-of-the-season party that we hosted for the cheerleaders and the 8th grade football team from one of the nearby middle schools. As over 50 children played basketball, pickleball, football and volleyball, members of the church exclaimed ‘this gym [in the Family Life Center] has been so underutilized!’ After the students had enjoyed pizza, cupcakes and beverages, some wanted to return to the gym for more games, but it was already filled with even more children, youth and adults who were participating in the martial arts ministry!
Seeing so many of God’s children experiencing love, laughter, fun and fellowship in the Family Life Center reminds us of the many times we hear the sound of the knock at the door providing opportunities for the power, presence and peace of Christ to be shared with the world all around us—down the street, across town and throughout the neighborhood.
With enormous gratitude, we gather as followers of the cross of Christ. We hold the cross high that all may see the beacon of safety in waters that may sometimes rage so fierce. May the Reign of Christ and the Way of Christ be our journey forevermore.
In Christ,
Jon McCoy
