Christ the King Sunday

Baptists don't typically follow the traditional liturgical calendar with all of its festivals and prescribed readings and prayers. We expect our local church pastor to preach the Word as God speaks to him each week. I'm happy to say that I have a Sr. pastor (preacher) who faithfully delivers a message from God week by week. There is nothing wrong with following the liturgical calendar. We just as a general rule don't - probably because of its roots in the Catholic church and our Baptist forefather's desire to make sure we were NOT Catholic.

But we do follow the traditional liturgical calendar to some extent: we celebrate Christmas and Easter. Many of us make sure that we at least sing songs about the Holy Spirit on Pentecost (7 weeks after Easter) and in the last 30 years or so many Baptists have discovered the joy of anticipating Christmas by to some form or another observing Advent. For that matter, even more recently, many Baptists have begun observing Lent as they prepare for Easter.

Another festive day that I personally have observed for many years is Christ the King Sunday. My congregations don't know it, but they have been observing it too! Surprise!

In the church calendar Advent is celebrated or observed for the four Sundays before Christmas. The first Sunday of Advent is considered the first Sunday of the year.

What most of us don't know is that the Sunday before Advent (therefore the last Sunday of the year) is Christ the King Sunday.

Here are some verses from the New Testament that refer to Jesus Christ as King. (this was taken from wikipedia)
The name is found in various forms in scripture: King (John 18:36-37), King eternal (1 Timothy 1:17), King of Israel (John 1:49, Mt. 27:42, Mark 15:32), King of the Jews by Romans and Magi (Mt. 2:2, Mt. 27:11, cf. John 18:33-37), King of kings (1 Tim 6:15; Rev. 19:16), King of the ages (Book of Revelation 15:3) and Ruler of the kings of the Earth (Rev. 1:5).

So on Christ the King Sunday I like to lead our congregation in singing great songs about Jesus Christ as King.

Tomorrow at Hilldale we will sing:
Rejoice, the Lord Is King with Sing and Rejoice! (this will be on our new CD)
followed by
Sing to the King

Then our choir will sing Psalm 24 which is a great song taken from (duh) Psalm 24. (also on our new CD)
" Lift up your head,
 lift up your voice,
 lift up your heart
 come rejoice
 that the King of Glory may come in"

We'll end our congregational singing with
Majesty
All Hail King Jesus
and
You Are My King

I hope you'll join us tomorrow in singing praise to Jesus Christ the King of kings.

Christ the King

Baptists don't generally follow the liturgical church year as many other denominations do. Probably because of years of trying to show that we are independent and not a break off of the Catholic church. And that's OK. But I have discovered over the years that there are some very nice things about the church year.

For one thing, you don't accidentally skip important church teachings. I suppose it would be possible - well, actually, I know from experience - to not talk about the Holy Spirit for an entire year. (Names will not be shared to protect the guilty.) Knowing when Pentecost is and singing and preaching about the Holy Spirit on that Sunday helps make sure the church knows about the work and power of the Holy Spirit.

For the past twenty plus years I have led the churches I have been serving in to celebrate Advent. I'll post about Advent later.

Advent is the beginning of the church calendar.

The last Sunday of the church calendar is "Christ the King" Sunday. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_the_King

Here are some verses that refer to Jesus as our King.

1 Timothy 1:17 CSB
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
Read 1 Timothy 1 View in parallel Compare Translations

Revelation 15:2-4 They held harps given them by God 3 and sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb: "Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages.

Revelation 19:16 NIV
On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Matthew Mark and John all have verses where Jesus is called "King of Israel."


Sunday we are singing songs about Christ the King.

Sing to the King
O Worship the King
You Are My King

Join us Sunday as we Sing to the King!