[The sermon begins with a scene acted out by two parishioners. Thanks to Ernie Radaker and Scott Mills at the 8:00 service and Roy Brady and Hylan Scott at the 10:30 service.]

Ben: "Hey, Jake, how’ you doing?"

Jake: "Fine, Ben, how’re you?"

Ben: "Okay. Hey, did you see that parade this morning?"

Jake: "No, but I heard a little about it. Did you see it?"

Ben: "Yeah, I watched it all."

Jake: "Well, tell me about it. What happened?"

Ben: "This guy, Jesus, you know, the one from Galilee we’ve been hearing about?, he finally got to the city and he and all his followers made this kind of grandstanding entrance. . . ."

Jake (interrupting): "What do you mean, "Grandstanding?"

Ben: "I mean grandstanding. As he came into the city, all his people were throwing their cloaks in his path and singing and carrying on . . . ."

Jake (interrupting again): "Singing what? What were they singing."

Ben (annoyed): I don’t know. They were singing, "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord," and "Peace," and "Glory," and stuff like that. Can I go on?

Jake: "Yeah, sorry —they called him a king?"

Ben (exasperated, but resigned, as if dealing with a child): "Yes, they called him a king."

Jake: "Bet that really ticked off the Romans and the priests. How did they take it?"

Ben: "Not well. Can I go on now?"

Jake: "Sure, sorry. Go on."

Ben: "And he was riding a colt. . . ."

Jake (interrupting): "A colt? Not a horse? I wonder why it was a colt?"

Ben (resigned): "I don’t know. But I can tell you, it was not nearly as impressive as a horse would have been. A horse is a symbol of strength and power. Kings ride horses. This guy looked, to tell you the truth, a little silly wobbling on that colt. Didn’t look like any king I’ve ever seen."

Jake: "How many kings have you seen?"

Ben (after an embarrassed pause): "Will you shut up? That’s not the point. The point is that if this guy is going to proclaim himself a king he’d better learn how to look more impressive and — intimidating."

Jake: "You think he is a king?"

Ben: "I don’t know. Maybe. Who knows? Anyway, what difference does it make?"

Jake (amazed): "What difference does it make? Are you kidding? If this guy really is a king, the king we’ve been waiting for, he could pull together all the groups that hate the Romans and consolidate our military power.
[Whispering] We could rebel against the Romans. That’s all we need is a leader. That’s why they’re so jumpy about somebody saying they’re a king. If this is the guy, he could raise an army and throw these jerks out."

Ben: "Yeah, I guess so. But I still don’t think it would matter much."

Jake (amazed): "How can you say that?"

Ben (with a resigned sigh): "Okay, let’s say this guy is a king, and he becomes a great military leader. First of all, win or lose, the streets will run red with blood in a war with the Romans. And second, and most important, a king is a king. They’re all the same. They separate themselves from the people and rule from afar. And even the ones who start off good end up being corrupted, so that they end up just being focused on power and comfort. People like you and me, their subjects, have to spend our whole lives trying to keep ’em happy. And if you don’t, you’re in big trouble.

"So, I don’t think it matters much whether he’s a king. Sooner or later, serving him will be just like serving the Romans. Whether the name of the king is Caesar or Jesus, the name of the game will still be, "Perform right to keep him happy, or you’re in big trouble." They all rule by fear and threat of punishment.

Jake: "Well, I didn’t see the parade, but I think I’ll keep an eye on this guy to see whether he turns out to be the kind of king you’re talking about, or maybe some other kind of king."

Ben: "Grow up, Jake. There is no other kind of king."

[End of scene. Players return to their seats.]

On this last Sunday of the church year, Anglicans have increasingly followed the Roman Catholic lead in (unofficially) celebrating "Christ the King" Sunday. It is a momentous thing to call Christ "king." And, even though we Americans don’t have kings, we all know about kings. Being called "king" is not something Jesus took lightly, and it is not something we should take lightly either.

"King" is a dangerous title to give to our Lord. It makes it very easy for us to see Jesus as the ever vigilant Monarch ruling over his subjects as a distant, all powerful king looking down on us from his castle in heaven. It makes it very easy for us to see the Christian life as boiling down to satisfying the edicts of Christ the King, meeting his strict requirements, performing in order to keep him happy so we can avoid punishment. It makes it very easy to see Christian life as based on fear: break the rules, sin, and you will be punished. So you’d better do right to keep the king happy, or you’re in big trouble.

Sounds a lot like the same ‘ol kind of king to me, only with a different way to threaten and coerce and instill fear.

I think Ben can be forgiven for not being able to imagine another kind of king, other than one who rules by coercion and fear. I think a lot of Christians can’t imagine another kind of king.

It’s not easy. The secret to Christ’s uniqueness is that he is a crucified king, and as John Kavanaugh points out, "[t]here is none other like him in the fables of human consciousness. No cult or culture could dream it."

As we prepare to begin another liturgical year, another retelling — by the seasons and the readings and the colors and the liturgy — of the story of how God relates to us, pay attention. And as that story unfolds through Advent and Christmas and Epiphany and Lent and Easter and Pentecost, ask yourself, let this question haunt you all year, ask yourself over and over because there is not one answer for every occasion, ask yourself:

"Can I begin to imagine what other kind of king this is?"