Pastor’s Corner – November 23, 2025
The Reign of Christ – Luke 23:33-43
A week ago, the Michigan House of Representatives passed a resolution to officially declare November 23 as “Christ the King Sunday.” The resolution, which passed without debate on a voice vote with no opposition, declared that the lawmakers “honor and acknowledge Christ’s Kingship within every aspect of life.” Representative Josh Schriver, who sponsored the bill, is a far-right politician who tried to overturn Trump’s 2020 election loss, voted against recognition of Juneteenth, against a ban on child marriage, against addressing sexual child abuse, attacked transgender rights, called for rejecting same-sex marriage and a ban on birth control. Schriver, in speaking for the resolution, declared that “moral truth stands above political power,” and that “freedom depends on something deeper than government. It depends on the conscious virtue of its citizens and our bedrock of faith.” Yes, while I agree with line of argument, in practice he is promoting more like “Christ the Nationalist Sunday!” Christ the Christian Nationalist Sunday? – by Brian Kaylor
Is this passage of the bill in response to the “No Kings” movement? Perhaps it is, but to be sure the beginning of the Christ the King Sunday was dubious to start, initiated by Pope Pius XI in 1925. In response to World War I, it was a call for the world leaders to submit to the rule of Christ as King. And he didn’t see the separation of church and state. However I am in agreement with theologian Diana Butler Bass, who suggests that we should focus this coming Sunday on our commitment to Christ over state loyalty and nationalism, “We’ve far too often desired our own Jesus-Caesar to kick earthly kings and emperors in the teeth. We’ve wanted our Jesus, our vision of Christ, to triumph politically and execute not justice but vengeance. Too many Christians desire an ecclesiastical pyramid of power to rule over the world…God never wanted us to have kings. And any celebration of Christ the King needs always to be an invitation into the work of sacred deconstruction of one of humanity’s worst ideas.”
Amen to that! So come Sunday, rather than Christ the King Sunday, it should be known as “Reign of Christ Sunday!” We were never good at this idea of king, that suggests domination, power-over people. We follow the one who is in our gospel wearing the crown of thorns hanging on the cross, speaking a different kind of kingdom in which the reign of God comes to us as one who is vulnerable, wounded and suffering, not in might nor power as the world claims, but with humility, love and mercy. Therefore we are able to turn to God who is in solidarity with our human suffering to pray, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” To this reign of Christ, to be fully alive as a human being, I pledge my loyalty, commitment and life. Amen.
Pastor Dae