Sermon - Christ the King Sunday

Matthew 25:31-46     

                                                  The “New Belgium Brewery” Way of Life

One of the conferences y’all paid for me to was this fall in Asheville.  Pastor Jon used the free afternoon to do some hiking in the glorious mountains; I spent that afternoon touring one of the local breweries.  New Belgium Brewery selected Asheville because of its clean, fresh water; because they could build the brewery on what would have otherwise remained a trash pile and waste site; and because the local folks demonstrated an eagerness to become a member of the “New Belgium Family.”  --- Can you tell I was paying close attention to the tour-guide?

I was, or I did, and I found myself intrigued by her presentation.  After the tour, over another round of beers, I asked her how much of her presentation was a script and how much was from her heart.  Considering myself a reasonably good judge of what is spoken as contrasted with what is said, I felt that she did believe what she was selling.  And, what she was selling was not beer.  She was lifting up a way of life; a way of seeing oneself in the world; a way of interacting with others which establishes and builds meaningful interactions and community.

All of this – from deciding to drink, buy, support a particular brand of beer.

I am not implying that this young woman has made beer her god.  I am clearly saying to you that her talk about beer evoked emotions within me which align very closely with my search for God.  Care for the earth; a corporate model in which every worker is a share-holder (not an expendable employee); a community where hard-work is kept in balance with enjoying life.  (Did I mention there is an adult-size sliding tube which takes you from the entrance to the lower floors of the building?  And there are bicycles of every style and description in racks all around the place which folks can ride or borrow for days off?)

I was at this brewery with a group of pastors.  After we had had a few, we fell into a discussion of the compelling story shared with us as we walked the campus of New Belgium Brewery.  We wondered if the story we tell, on our campuses, is as compelling.  Or more specifically, if we are telling it in an equally compelling way.

What is the story we tell, on this last Sunday of the Liturgical Year?  Christ the King Sunday is intended to be the culmination of our year-long journey and spiritual quest.  It is a time to consider well where it is that we place our hope and allegiance.  Are the visitors here this morning likely to experience a compelling presentation of the marvels and joys and life-giving aspects of the reign of Christ?  Does our liturgy and hymns and prayers and sermons evoke emotions which align closely with the search for ultimate meaning and purpose?

Is Christ the King Sunday, and the notion of Christ as our final authority consistent with that which flows naturally out of our hearts?  Or does coming to worship feel as if you are trapped and strapped to your chair and forced to once again hear over and over what needs to change or be different about how you understand yourself and your life?

Those are a lot of question.  Spoken too fast and too close together.  They – and the parts of this sermon not made up as I go along – are posted at that blog where I share my sermons and e-devotions.  You can go there and take time with each question, if you want.

Do try to remember this:  I am not interested in ever giving anyone a tongue lashing.  If it feels that way, when I preach, remember that emotions arise from within.  No one can make us feel a particular way.  What they do might trip a trigger, within us, which turns on an emotion. 

When I preach, my aim is to evoke.  The hope is that what lies at the core of your heart and soul will be switched on.  That you already know what the Law of God requires, you may be in need of assistance in allowing that switch to be flipped. 

No words or images or theological declarations are capable of bringing change in another person’s life.  But a well-placed invitation to examine what lies at the core of our lives may drill its way into your heart and soul and from there begin a re-make of both. 

So – allow me to ask those questions again.  And pay attention to how you respond in your bowels; ignoring as best you can what bounces around in your head:  Is Christ the King Sunday, and the notion of Christ as our final authority consistent with that which flows naturally out of your heart?  Or, upon entering this room, do you feel as if you are trapped and strapped to your chair and forced to once again hear over and over what needs to change or be different about how you understand yourself and your life?

The appointed Gospel Lesson for this Christ the King Sunday, is not or should not be used as a tool for tongue-lashing.  I say that, knowing how many sermons I have preached which focused on the particular actions to which Jesus refers. 

I had agreed to write a reflection/text study for youth leaders in the ELCA on this lesson, and in doing so I realized that Jesus isn’t trying to cram something down the throats or into the lives of those to whom he preaches.  Jesus merely reflects on what has come so naturally to them that it is part of their lives which happens without them giving thought to it.

Neither the goats or the sheep are aware of when they had in any way participated in actively bringing about the Kingdom of God.  Or when they had failed to do so.  It is just what they did, without thinking or without thinking about how much reward they would get if they did act.

Christ the King Sunday isn’t one last chance to trap you and strap you to your chairs and lecture you on what you have done wrong or what you need to do better.  Think of it more as a tour, through a local brewery.  What is said will (hopefully) evoke those emotions in you which align closely with your efforts in searching for your final hope and ultimate concern.  If it ain’t happening; it may have less to do with the skill of the tour guide and more to do with the disconnect between what Jesus says and that which is at the center of your life and self-understanding.

You are not trapped, or strapped to your chair, or being blasted.  But - being in God’s house is likely to force upon you some self-examination.  And this Gospel text in particular is likely to lead to some soul-searching and looks over the shoulder at how you have been living and interacting with others.  What do your actions reveal about where you find your hope or place your ultimate trust?

Amen.