Looking into the lectionary - A free Advent candle liturgy 🎄

November 24, 2024 Twenty-seventh Sunday after Pentecost  John 18:33-37 Through our ecumenical lectionary, we protestants join the Roman Catholic Church in celebrating Christ the King Sunday on the last Sunday of the liturgical year. Christ the King Sunday’s origins go back to December 11, 1925, when Pope Pious XI released Quas Primas and called for a new feast day celebrating the Lordship and Kingship of Jesus Christ. The declaration of the feast is tied, in part, to celebrating the 1600th anniversary of the gathering of the Synod of Nicene which affirmed the church’s belief that Christ’s “kingdom shall have no end” (using the Nicene Creed on this Sunday is an excellent alternative to the Barmen Declaration excerpts that I suggest in the complementary liturgy). The primary motivator for the feast, however, is to claim the primacy of Christ’s rule in response to a world whose individuals and nation-states seem to have rejected Christ’s rule. Quas Primas quotes Cyril of Alexandria, “Christ has dominion over all creatures, a dominion not seized by violence nor usurped, but his by essence and by nature.” As the statement continues, it contrasts life in the Empire of Christ’s peace to the lamentable condition of modern statehood, described by “the seeds of discord sown far and wide; those bitter enmities and rivalries between nations, which still hinder so much the cause of peace; that insatiable greed which is so often hidden under a pretense of public spirit and patriotism, and gives rise to so many private quarrels; a blind and immoderate selfishness, making men seek nothing but their own comfort and advantage, and measure everything by these; no peace in the home, because men have forgotten or neglect their duty; the unity and stability of the family undermined; society in a word, shaken to its foundations and on the way to ruin.” The Gospel reading for the day, John 18:33-37, is short. Yet, it dives directly into the depths of the feast day’s drama. Pilate, the regional representative for the Roman Empire, holds Jesus, king over all creatures by essence and by nature, for questioning. Borrowing the language of Pope Pious XI, the “bitter enmities and rivalries between nations” linger in Pilate’s careful word choices as he tries to navigate the situation in a way that maintains order and control. Extending the reading a quarter verse further gives us Pilate’s unanswered, earth-shaking question, “What is truth?” It is a passage for disrupted times, unstable days, foundation-rocking, ruin-causing moments. ... Thank you to this week's writer Walter Canter. Read the rest of the commentary on the website. Order of worship for November 24, 2024, by Walter Canter A prayer for veterans by Andrew Taylor Troutman The practice of presence (November 24, 2024) by Brendan McLean Leading and preaching in the storm: (Re)locating ourselves faithfully amid trauma and chaos by Kimberly Wagner An Advent Candle Liturgy by Dr. Montisa Anntoinette Watkins and Rev. Shavon Starling-Louis — Free for a limited time! We bear the mark: the cost of killing and the work of healing by Ben Weakley Want the worship resources for November 17, 2024? You can find them here. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... Remembering Padre Gustavo Pittsburgh Theological Seminary teacher Hunter Farrell remembers his former instructor, father of liberation theology, Gustavo Gutiérrez. Swimming with the Sharks: Leading the Full Spectrum Church in a Red-and-Blue World America’s political divisiveness might have inspired Haberer to write this book, but "Swimming with the Sharks" will resonate beyond this election season as a reminder that our passions must be rooted in Jesus’ passions. — Amy Pagliarella  Young clergywoman gets more than $44,000 in student loans forgiven ‘If you’ve wondered if you are worth it, you are. Apply,’ advises the Rev. Blair Moorhead. — Beth Waltemath Believing in kindness To hope is to open yourself to disappointment. It's worth the risk, even today. — Rose Schrott Taylor Crossing borders with song: A music and mission journey to the US-Mexico border Borders are places of encounter, calling us to see our shared humanity, writes Greg Allen-Pickett. Advent in the aftermath When time stands still after disaster, how do we mark the days? Pastor Esta Jarrett shares how a small mountain town tries to hold hope, gratitude, pain, and loss in the wake of Helene. Students, sense of normalcy, return to southeastern Presbyterian colleges after two hurricanes  Southeastern Presbyterian colleges have transformed shared hardship into moments of unity and gratitude, Erin Booke reports. Revelation: Professing Christ Today In a world that frequently promotes hatred, hostility and division, discover Revelation’s call to embody God’s grace, generosity and forgiveness. A new Fresh Outlook study. Available now! In a world dominated by binary thinking – light vs. dark, good vs. evil – this Advent devotional challenges us to see beyond familiar binaries and embrace the complex, natural patterns of God in the world.