Dominion Over All Creation
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For November 23, 2025:
Dominion Over All Creation
by Nazish Naseem
Jeremiah 23:1-6
Christ the King Sunday, a significant observance established by Pope Pius XI in 1925, is not confined to the boundaries of Christianity. Its celebration reaffirms Christ’s sovereignty and addresses important themes of justice and morality that resonate globally. The ideals of leadership, compassion, and social justice embodied in this feast transcend religious affiliations, offering insights that inspire all individuals in their pursuit of purpose and harmony. This message, with its universal themes, transcends cultural and religious barriers, including all of us in a larger narrative, and inspires us to strive for a better world, filling us with a sense of inspiration and motivation.
Historical Perspective
Christ the King Sunday, established by Pope Pius XI in 1925, has a rich historical context that connects us to a tradition of faith and resilience. It was a response to the turbulent political landscape of the 1920s, a time when many nations were straying from traditional values and embracing ideologies that often-marginalized faith in public life. This historical context not only connects us to the tradition but also helps us understand the need for this feast day. Recognizing the need to refocus the faithful on Christ’s authority, Pope Pius XI sought to reaffirm the church’s teachings on justice, morality, and the Kingdom of God (Meyers, 2017, “The Historical Context of Christ the King Sunday” Journal of Religious History, 42(3), 325-344).
Celebrated on the last Sunday of the liturgical year, which is a cycle of seasons and feasts that mark the life of Christ and the church, this feast day culminates the church’s calendar, reminding believers of their commitment to Christ and his dominion over all creation. The historical significance of Christ the King Sunday is further underscored by its liturgical readings, which encapsulate themes of justice, mercy, and divine sovereignty. The passage from Jeremiah 23:1-6 emphasizes God’s promise to raise a righteous leader, a ‘shepherd’ who will rule with wisdom and justice, illuminating the hope for Messianic fulfillment that believers see in Christ (New American Bible, 1970). This context reinforces Christ’s role not only as a spiritual king but also as a model of just leadership.
Biblical Foundations
Biblically, Christ the King Sunday is celebrated through various scriptural readings that echo its core themes. Central to this observance is the acknowledgment of Christ’s everlasting authority and the call for believers to embody his teachings. The readings from the Old Testament, such as the Psalms and the Prophets, and the New Testament, particularly the Gospels and the Epistles, all contribute to the understanding of Christ’s sovereignty and the believer’s commitment to his teachings. One of the focal hymns associated with this celebration is “Jesus Shall Reign” by Isaac Watts (1719). This hymn, with its powerful proclamation, captures the essence of Christ’s influence extending to all corners of the earth, transcending time, and reaffirming the belief in his eternal kingdom. The hymn serves as a musical testament to Christ’s universal sovereignty, a theme that is central to Christ the King Sunday. The hymn’s lyrics, which declare Christ’s reign over all nations and his victory over sin and death, resonate deeply with the feast’s message of Christ’s authority and the believer’s commitment to his teachings. The readings and hymns used during Christ the King Sunday encourage personal reflection on one’s commitment to following Christ and embodying his values of justice and compassion in everyday life. They serve as an invitation for Christians to actively participate in manifesting God’s kingdom on earth, promoting love, mercy, and justice in a world that is in dire need of such principles (Pope Pius XI, 1925, “Quas Primas: Encyclical on the Feast of Christ the King.” Vatican City: Vatican Press).
Modern Relevance and in Sermon
While deeply embedded in Christian theology and practice, the themes of Christ the King Sunday extend beyond Christianity, offering universal insights that resonate with individuals of diverse beliefs. The principles of justice, ethical leadership, and moral authority are values shared across many cultures and religions. Christ’s depiction as a king serves as a template for ethical governance, encouraging leaders globally to prioritize fairness, humility, and community welfare.
In the context of current US leadership, the celebration of Christ the King Sunday can serve as a relevant reminder for leaders to embrace these ideals. In a political environment where divisiveness and partisanship often overshadow unity and service, the themes of justice and compassionate leadership emphasized on this feast day compel contemporary leaders to reflect on their responsibilities to the public. The call for ethical governance resonates especially in discussions of social justice initiatives, healthcare, and community welfare policies, advocating a leadership style that prioritizes the needs of marginalized and disenfranchised groups (Smith, 2023, Leadership Ethics in Today’s Political Climate). Gandhi’s reflections on nonviolent leadership also resonate in this context, reinforcing the power of principled leadership (Johnson, 2018, Gandhi and Christ: The Power of Nonviolent Leadership. New York: Peace Press).
The message echoed during Christ the King Sunday may align with the quests for meaning, social justice, and ethical living pursued by many individuals today.
SECOND THOUGHTS
If You Really Are Him
by Dean Feldmeyer
Luke 23:33-43, Colossians 1:11-20
“If you really are the Messiah, why don’t you save us?” The criminal challenges Jesus to prove he’s the Messiah by saving himself and the two robbers who are being crucified beside him.
The other thief reminds him that they knew the risk they were taking when they decided to get involved in whatever criminal enterprise brought them to this point. It’s their own fault. Jesus, on the other hand, he points out, “has done nothing wrong” — a discernment that will see him joining Jesus “in paradise” before the day is through.
The condemned and condemning man does not believe in consequences. He believes in an ethic of if-you-can-you-should and you should not be held accountable. And it is no doubt that belief brought him to this place.
In the Culture
I grew up in post WWII and post Korean War America. The movies and television were filled with Americans using violence to win out over evil. On TV there was “Combat” and “The Gallant Men.” My favorite comic books were “Sgt. Rock” and “Captain Storm.” War movies? There were too many to name here, but a quick internet search will offer up scores of titles. (I recommend “Run Silent, Run Deep,” “12 O’Clock High” and “The Battle of the Bulge.”)
So, when Good Friday rolled around every year my fantasies turned to a comic book front cover featuring me dressed in torn army fatigues, a bandage on my bicep, my helmet askew on my head, dirt on my face, a Thompson sub-machine gun in my arms, and bandoliers of ammunition and hand grenades across my chest, protecting Jesus from the Roman Army.
I was convinced I could have saved him. I had a machine gun and hand grenades, after all, and all evil Romans had were swords and spears.
It never occurred to me that Jesus could have saved himself but he chose not to. He could have called down armies of angels, or he could have just out debated Pontius Pilate, Herod, Caiaphas and Annas and walked away a free man.
By doing so he would have saved himself but no one else. And saving himself was not what Jesus was about. He was there to save humanity and that could only be accomplished by way of a sacrifice.
The challenge, “If you are the messiah why don’t you save yourself and us?” is thus answered. Self-saving is not what this messiah does. What the Messiah does is self-sacrifice.
In the Scripture
The challenge comes three time from three different sources.
When you come IN your kingdom, not when you come INTO your kingdom. Could Luke be hinting at an early doctrine of the return of Jesus in glory…eventually?
It is not until we read Paul’s letter to the Colossians that we hear what an answer to the challenges that the Sadducees, the soldiers, and the criminal place before Jesus and it is not the answer they are looking for. According to Paul, God does save us through Jesus Christ, not by miraculously bringing us down from our various crosses, not by anesthetizing our pain, not by solving our problems, but by giving us strength to endure them. And that strength comes through the gifts of endurance and patience that Jesus demonstrated on the cross of Calvary.
In the Sermon
Self-saving is not what Jesus was about, and neither is it what his church is called to be about. We are not called to save ourselves but to save humanity, to be the bread and the wine broken and poured out for the salvation of the world.
If we choose to follow the example of our Lord and sacrifice ourselves for the salvation of others, we need to be ready for the consequences that such a choice inevitably entails, the ridicule and derision which inevitably come to those who walk with the Savior.
“Whataya gonna save the world?”
“Whataya some kinda do gooder?”
“You know your wasting your time. They’ll just spend that money on drugs.”
“Ya just gotta accept that some people are just beyond saving.”
“If I were you, I’d be looking out for myself. No one else is going to.”
Ours is a difficult, often painful calling. Following the example of our Lord, Jesus Christ, doing as he commands, as he did, will, not always but sometimes, even often mean deprivation, ridicule, persecution, and even death — figuratively and literally.
But that’s okay because there’s a promise that comes with the challenge …
In three days, we will rise again.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Tom Willadsen:
Christ the King/Reign of Christ
Today is the last day of the church year. The church year starts four Sundays before Christmas. The last Sunday of the church is called both “Christ the King” Sunday, and “Reign of Christ” Sunday. This festival goes all the way back to ...1925, when Pope Pius XI added it to the calendar.
“The feast emphasizes the true kingship of Christ after the upheavals resulting from World War I and the end of all four major monarchies in Europe. It was meant to respond to the rise of atheism and secularization.” (Feast of Christ the King - Wikipedia) It was set as the last Sunday of the church year in 1970.
For Americans, who fought a revolution to drive out dynastic government, who built into our constitution the prohibition against bestowing titles — seriously, in the 1920s some people objected to calling Babe Ruth “the Sultan of Swat” and Benny Goodman “the King of Swing,” a decade later — because NO ROYAL TITLES! — observing Christ the King Sunday is exotic, if not downright weird.
No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.
[U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 9, Clause 8]
There may be a challenge in some congregations who are all in the on the No Kings ethos to even lift up Christ as King in this moment.
* * *
Luke 22:33-43
In Matthew and Mark, the Aramaic word for skull, “Golgotha” is used. Luke translates the term.
The earliest versions of Luke’s gospel do not include v. 34, “Then Jesus said, Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” This verse is frequently alluded to and cited. My personal favorite is the 10,000 Maniacs’ song “Please Forgive Us,” which spoke to the United States’ military interventions in Central America, which were uncovered during the Iran-Contra hearings during Ronald Reagan’s second term in office.
Verse 43, “(Jesus) replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’” offers enormous hope to some Christians. “Paradise, originally referring to the Garden of Eden, here the home of the righteous dead prior to the resurrection.” [The Jewish Annotated New Testament, editors Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler, New York: Oxford University Press, 2011, p. 148n.]
* * *
Colossians 1:11-20
Verses 15-20 can be read as a hymn of praise to Christ. According to The Annotated Jewish New Testament, some of the highest Christology in the New Testament appears in these verses. “Highest” connotes the farthest from the “fully human” dimension on Christ’s two natures.
Christ is both “the firstborn of all creation” (v. 15) and “the firstborn of the dead” (v. 18). The former metaphor has a parallel in Proverbs 8:22-31, in which Wisdom personified is depicted as having been present with the Lord at creation.
* * *
Psalm 46
Perhaps you’ve seen the wall hanging based on Psalm 46:10a:
Be still, and know that I am God
Be still and know that I am
Be still and know
Be still
Be
I have never passed it and been reminded to slow down, calm down, and remember that God is in charge, not me.
* * * * * *
From team member Mary Austin:
Colossians 1:11-20
Our Inheritance
The letter to the Colossians promises the early believers — and all of us who come later — that God enables us “to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.” We’re part of the story of God, as our inheritance.
Writing about faith, David Brooks says that religion enfolds our lives “in a sacred story.” Religious symbols “point to ineffable truths and rituals to mark the transitions in our lives. They give us peoplehood, a tradition of music, emotion and thought, an inheritance of spiritual treasures. As Rabbi David Wolpe once wrote: “Spirituality is an emotion. Religion is an obligation. Spirituality soothes. Religion mobilizes. Spirituality is satisfied with itself. Religion is dissatisfied with the world.” These days I go to church more than synagogue. But I’ve learned you can’t take the Jew out of the boy. I’m attracted to Jesus the Jew, not the wispy, ethereal, gentle-faced guy with his two fingers in the air whom Christians have invented and put into centuries of European paintings. The Jewish Jesus emerged amid revolution, violence, and strife. He walked into the center of all the clashing authority structures and he overturned them all. The Jewish Jesus was a total badass.”
Brooks finds a rich inheritance here. He adds, “I find the Jewish concept of “co-creation” is stubbornly baked into my mind. It is our human will, energy, and creativity, working within God’s, that matter.” What a rich inheritance for all of us.
* * *
Luke 23:33-43
Wild Hope
Jesus promises paradise to his neighbor thief on the cross, when their mutual suffering ends. I wonder if this neighbor secretly wanted what the other thief was asking for — to get off the cross and be saved from this torture? What Jesus offers feels so improbable that it could only come from one of God’s messengers.
Rachel Hackenberg says that this kind of wild hope belongs to God. She reflects, “Hope is a wild creature. Untamable. Wholly within the mysteries of God. Hope is an alien to our daily, bodily existence. Whereas I wake up each morning and roll out of bed with the same body I had the night before, with the same aches and illnesses of the prior day, the same routines and essential tasks, the same challenges to navigate, and the same face staring back at me from the mirror, hope has no care for the sameness of life or body or situation. Hope says something else is possible.”
Trying to imagine Christ as any kind of king requires that kind of wild, otherworldly hope, first embodied for us by the criminal on the cross with Jesus — and the criminal Jesus himself.
* * *
Psalm 46
Be Still
After all the tumult of God’s presence, the psalmist calls us back to silence, with the invitation to “Be still.” The mountains roar and shake, the waters rise, and the nations are in an uproar, and we’re summoned to enjoy a restful silence. If we can.
Julian Treasure, a sound expert, says we have to learn to savor silence again.
He writes, “Silence is a very important sound. Like nature sounds, we’ve rather lost contact with it in our noisy city environments. Many people who go to the country feel uncomfortable with the silence. If that’s you, try to challenge that because it’s very important to have a good relationship with silence. It’s your baseline. It’s the sound that makes all other sounds make sense. Without silence, everything becomes cacophony.”
He suggests, “If you’ve lost contact with silence, rediscover it. Give yourself a couple of minutes of silence a few times a day. You might have to go into a broom cupboard or a bathroom to get it. It’s important to reestablish your connection with that baseline. Refresh your ears because it will help you to listen afresh. There’s a reason that silence is at the heart of every spiritual tradition: in silence, you encounter yourself and your connection with whatever is important to you. Rediscover silence and you will discover many benefits.”
Be still, and know God.
* * *
Jeremiah 23:1-6
The Reign of Christ
Speaking through the prophet Jeremiah, God announces that the people of God need a different kind of leader. God promises, “I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply.” Next, God says, “I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall no longer fear or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing.”
As Christians, we find that kind of leader in Jesus, and seek to live in the world he would create. In How to Have an Enemy: Righteous Anger and the Work of Peace, Melissa Florer-Bixler recalls that “we are called to the reign of God. The renewed order of Jesus’ reign of love and peace is not designed for the destruction of anyone. As long as there are victims, there are victimizers. As long as there are oppressors, they will act on the oppressed. Our struggles are intertwined. Our participation in the destructive force of violence and death leads to our mutual ruin. When we answer the call to the interconnectedness of our struggles, of our ability to participate in the world as both victim and victimizers, the good news has found its way to us.”
To truly celebrate Reign of Christ Sunday, we need to act. Florer-Bixler says, “We declare “Jesus is Lord” by ripping out the systems of death and destruction that dominate our lives, and by planting something new in their place.” May it be so.
* * * * * *
From team member Chris Keating:
Jeremiah 23:1-6
Denouncing failed shepherds
Jeremiah spares no words to denounce the failed leaders of Judah. He proclaims God’s judgment against kings, priests, and prophets charged with shepherding the vulnerable and powerless. Things are so bad that Yahweh has decided to become the shepherd to the scattered remnant of Judah.
Jeremiah’s criticisms of the failed shepherds of his time are rooted in God’s passionate commitment with powerless victims, even though those victims remain unnamed. A good question to consider is, “Who are the reckless shepherds today, and can we identify their victims?”
In our day, such victims include the large numbers of children and adolescents who are victims of sex trafficking. Yet they are largely overlooked by the shadow cast by the political sideshow created by our focus on the bougie businessmen, princes, and politicians such as those included in Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged “client list.” Those names are familiar to us, while Epstein’s victims are largely unknown.
Even worse, attempts at holding these powerful yet wicked shepherds accountable becomes blurred by silliness such as Megyn Kelly’s odd suggestion that, technically, Epstein was not a pedophile because of his interest in “barely legal” teenagers. “I’m just giving you facts,” Kelly said last week, “that he wasn’t into, like, 8-year-olds. But he liked the very young teen types that could pass for even younger than they were, but would look legal to a passerby.”
Good to know. Of course, our laws are intended to protect all minors from sexual abuse. Kelly’s inane rambling misses the point that those powerful shepherds failed to protect the vulnerable who were traded like playing cards. It is a reminder, as Kathryn Robb notes, that we remain more focused on the political spectacle and are less concerned about the lasting injuries inflicted on Epstein’s victims.
* * *
Colossians 1:11-20
Confronting darkness
The epistle of Colossians invites hearers, both ancient and modern, to shape their lives according to the story of Jesus, and not the story of human rulers. The power of Christ is described as the inheritance of the saints in the light, representing a call to endure and hope even as darkness surrounds us.
One of the twentieth century’s most remarkable saints in the light was Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor, theologian, and martyr who was executed by the Nazis at the end of World War II. In speaking out against Hitler and the evils he imposed, Bonhoeffer demonstrated his desire to shape his life with the spiritual wisdom conveyed in Colossians. One quote in particular captures the essence of his commitment to discipleship: “Jesus Christ lived in the midst of his enemies. At the end all his disciples deserted him. On the cross he was utterly alone, surrounded by evildoers and mockers. For this cause he had come, to bring peace to the enemies of God. So the Christian, too, belongs not in the seclusion of a cloistered life but in the thick of foes.”
* * *
Colossians 1:11-20
Morning light
A morning prayer that Bonhoeffer wrote during his imprisonment offers another illustration of God’s light in even the darkest moments of life.
God, I call to you early in the morning,
help me pray and collect my thoughts,
I cannot do so alone.
In me it is dark, but with you there is light.
I am lonely, but you do not abandon me.
I am faint-hearted, but from you comes my help.
I am restless, but with you is peace.
In me is bitterness, but with you is patience.
I do not understand your ways,
but you know [the] right way for me.
(See Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison, ed. Victoria J. Barnett, trans. Isabel Best et al., Reader’s Edition, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2015), 171.)
* * *
Colossians 1:11-20
Rescued from darkness
Last week, geomagnetic storms provide a primetime glimpse of the aurora borealis to millions in the United States who normally don’t get a chance to see that elegant display in their backyards. The storms brough the Northern Lights visible to many states, including Missouri, Tennessee, New Mexico, and even Florida.
The night the lights were most visible in St. Louis found me responding to a suicide death as a police chaplain. These calls come with some frequency, though they are never routine. My role is to be available to the officers and to families in whatever way needed. Often it is a silent ministry of presence that might be compared to Paul’s understanding Christ’s presence as reflecting “the image of the invisible God.”
I stood outside an apartment where a teenaged father had taken his life. Several officers and I were waiting for detectives to finish their work. Several of the cops aimed their cell phones toward the sky to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights. Sure enough, the bright waves of purple and green appeared. Invisible to the eye, the colors were vibrant through the lens of a camera. It was breathtaking.
A moment later, the young man’s girlfriend was sobbing in my arms, pleading with God for answers. I know better than trying to answer that question. Yet another reality struck me. Even in the darkness of that moment, the promise of God’s light surrounded us. It wasn’t visible to our eyes, but it was there. It offered a poignant reminder of the way Paul described Christ as the one who “has rescued us from the power of darkness,” (v. 13). It was a reassuring hint of light, even on a dark night.
* * *
Luke 23:33-43
Jesus and the powers of the world
Luke’s depiction of the crucifixion dramatically reveals the power of God confronting the powers of the world. Yet it is a power that the world will not understand. The crowds and bystanders mock Jesus, calling him to save himself. Yet only a thief realizes that Jesus’ suffering conveys the power of love in a world driven by inferior powers of domination. The narrative reveals the triumph of God’s powers over the caustic, but ultimately impotent, powers of the world.
This September, the Rev. David Black, a Presbyterian pastor from Chicago, was pepper sprayed by officers from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. Black was saying a prayer with protestors outside of an ICE detention facility. A photo of the moment from the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper captured the clash between the peaceful protestors with ICE and quickly went viral.
In an interview with Sojourner’s Magazine, Black described his involvement with protesting Trump immigration policies as offering an “incredible spiritual power” residing within Christians.
I was never the smartest seminarian in the systematic theology classes, but I read my Bible every day and I feel very deeply rooted in the scriptures and very formed by what I see Jesus teaching us and how he’s calling us to imitate him. I was moved in that moment to pray in the verbatim words of Jesus, to warn the ICE officers who were standing on the roof about the spiritual consequences of their actions in language that was an echo of scriptural prophetic language talking about how generations after them would view their actions, and calling them to repent.
I quoted Jesus. I said, “Repent and believe the good news, the kingdom of God is at hand.” I invited them to an altar call. As I was speaking the words of Jesus that come to us through scripture, they opened fire on me and they shot me [with pepper balls] at least seven times, twice on the head, also on my torso, my arms, my legs, and very rapid fire.”
* * * * * *
WORSHIP
by George Reed
Call to Worship
One: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel.
All: For God has looked favorably on us and redeemed us.
One: God has raised up a mighty savior for us!
All: God has fulfilled the words of the prophets from of old.
One: In mercy God’s dawn shall shine upon us!
All: God will lead us into the paths of peace.
OR
One: Come and worship the Christ who reigns over all.
All: We bow before Jesus the Christ, our Redeemer.
One: If Christ reigns then we need to follow him.
All: We join together as followers of God’s Christ.
One: To truly follow Jesus we must not follow others.
All: Our allegiance is to Jesus Christ and him alone.
Hymns and Songs
All Creatures of Our God and King
UMH: 62
H82: 400
PH: 455
GTG: 15
AAHH: 147
NNBH: 33
NCH: 17
CH: 22
LBW: 527
ELW: 835
W&P: 23
AMEC: 50
STLT: 203
Renew: 47
Praise, My Soul the King of Heaven
UMH: 66
H82: 410
PH: 620
CH: 23
LBW: 549
ELW: 864/865
W&P: 82
AMEC: 70
Renew: 53
Blessed Be the God of Israel
UMH: 209
H82: 444
GTG: 109
CH: 135
ELW: 552
W&P: 158
All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name
UMH: 154/155
H82: 450/451
PH: 142/143
GTG: 263
AAHH: 292/293/294
NNBH: 3/5
NCH: 304
CH: 91/92
LBW: 328/329
ELW: 634
W&P: 100/106
AMEC: 4/5/6:
Renew: 45
Jesus Shall Reign
UMH: 157
H82: 544
PH: 423
GTG: 265
NNBH: 10
NCH: 300
CH: 95
LBW: 530
ELW: 434
W&P: 341
AMEC: 96
Renew: 296
Lift High the Cross
UMH: 159
H82: 473
PH: 371
GTG: 826
AAHH: 242
NCH: 198
CH: 108
LBW: 377
ELW: 660
W&P: 287
Renew: 297
Alleluia, Alleluia
UMH: 162
H82: 178
PH: 106
GTG: 240
CH: 40
W&P: 291
Renew: 271
When Morning Gilds the Skies
UMH: 185
H82: 427
PH: 487
GTG: 667
AAHH: 186
NCH: 86
CH: 100
LBW: 545/546
ELW: 853
W&P: 111
AMEC: 29
Jesus Calls Us
UMH: 398
H82: 549/550
GTG: 720
NNBH: 183
NCH: 171/172
CH: 337
LBW: 494
ELW: 696
W&P: 345
AMEC: 238
Jesu, Jesu
UMH: 432
H82: 602
PH: 367
GTG: 203
NCH: 498
CH: 600
ELW: 708
W&P: 273
CCB: 66
Renew: 289
O God of Every Nation
UMH: 435
H82: 607
PH: 289
GTG: 756
CH: 680
LBW: 416
ELW: 713
W&P: 626
We Will Glorify
CCB: 19
Renew: 33
How Majestic Is Your Name
CCB: 21
Renew: 98
Music Resources Key
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
GTG: Glory to God, The Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELW: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day/Collect
O God who reconciles all things unto yourself through Christ:
Grant us the courage to give him our allegiance
and we bring your reign to its fullness through him;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, for you reconcile all things unto yourself through Christ. In him you draw all into your reign. Help us to give our allegiance to him and only him as you use us to bring your reign to its fullness. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
One: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially when we allow our allegiance to be divided instead of resting fully in your Christ.
All: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have not been faithful to your Christ. We have called him Lord but we have not followed him. We have sold out to the values of this world with its greed and division. We have bowed to false gods. Forgive us and reclaim us as your flock. Amen.
One: God offers us grace and forgiveness and God’s own Spirit to fill us and make us faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. Return your hearts to him and follow him in service to others.
Prayers of the People
Praise and glory to you, O God, and to your Christ through who you gather all creation into your realm. You are the true Shepherd who calls your flock together.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have not been faithful to your Christ. We have called him Lord but we have not followed him. We have sold out to the values of this world with its greed and division. We have bowed to false gods. Forgive us and reclaim us as your flock.
We give you thanks for Jesus who came that we might have abundant life to share with all. We thank you for those who have been faithful to your realm and have truly followed your Christ. We are blessed to be part of your Church which you open to all people.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for others in their need. We lift up to you those who are oppressed by the powers of this world. We pray for those who live in war and violence because others seek power and wealth. We pray for those who are neglected and shunned because we do not recognize your Christ in them.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
Hear us as we pray for others: (Time for silent or spoken prayer.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ who taught us to pray saying:
Our Father....Amen.
(Or if the Our Father is not used at this point in the service.)
All this we ask in the name of the blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
* * * * * *
CHILDREN’S SERMON
The Shepherd King
by Katy Stenta
Jeremiah 23:1-6
Object: Cotton might be a good tool to hand out to the kids so they can all be sheep.
Today we are going to talk about how Jesus is a king, but he is the sort of king that promised to always take care of us, and so for that reason, we often call him a shepherd.
So, in order for Jesus to be shepherd, we are all going to pretend to be sheep.
I’m going to give everyone a bit of fluff to be a sheep. (Pass out a ball of cotton to each person.)
Here are the promises God makes for when Jesus is our shepherd.
Repeat after me:
When Jesus is our Shepherd
When Jesus is our Shepherd
No when will be afraid
No when will be afraid
(This is a tricky one it means sad, or lonely, or discouraged)
No one will be dismayed
No one will be dismayed
No one will be missing
No one will be missing
The shepherd will come and be wise and just and give us value and worth. And everyone will be safe.
Let’s put our sheep in a flock together.
(Pile the cotton balls together in the center and raise your hands over it.)
Let’s pray over the flock…
God be our shepherd.
Bless our flock.
Teach us to treat
One another as beloved sheep.
We pray,
In the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, November 23, 2025 issue.
Copyright 2025 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
- Dominion Over All Creation by Nazish Naseem based on Jeremiah 23:1-6.
- Second Thoughts: If You Really Are Him by Dean Feldmeyer. Like a loving parent, God does not always solve our problems. Rather, God walks with us as we endure them.
- Sermon illustrations by Tom Willadsen, Chris Keating, and Mary Austin.
- Worship resources by George Reed.
- Children’s sermon: Thank You, Jesus! by Katy Stenta based on Jeremiah 23:1-6.
Dominion Over All Creationby Nazish Naseem
Jeremiah 23:1-6
Christ the King Sunday, a significant observance established by Pope Pius XI in 1925, is not confined to the boundaries of Christianity. Its celebration reaffirms Christ’s sovereignty and addresses important themes of justice and morality that resonate globally. The ideals of leadership, compassion, and social justice embodied in this feast transcend religious affiliations, offering insights that inspire all individuals in their pursuit of purpose and harmony. This message, with its universal themes, transcends cultural and religious barriers, including all of us in a larger narrative, and inspires us to strive for a better world, filling us with a sense of inspiration and motivation.
Historical Perspective
Christ the King Sunday, established by Pope Pius XI in 1925, has a rich historical context that connects us to a tradition of faith and resilience. It was a response to the turbulent political landscape of the 1920s, a time when many nations were straying from traditional values and embracing ideologies that often-marginalized faith in public life. This historical context not only connects us to the tradition but also helps us understand the need for this feast day. Recognizing the need to refocus the faithful on Christ’s authority, Pope Pius XI sought to reaffirm the church’s teachings on justice, morality, and the Kingdom of God (Meyers, 2017, “The Historical Context of Christ the King Sunday” Journal of Religious History, 42(3), 325-344).
Celebrated on the last Sunday of the liturgical year, which is a cycle of seasons and feasts that mark the life of Christ and the church, this feast day culminates the church’s calendar, reminding believers of their commitment to Christ and his dominion over all creation. The historical significance of Christ the King Sunday is further underscored by its liturgical readings, which encapsulate themes of justice, mercy, and divine sovereignty. The passage from Jeremiah 23:1-6 emphasizes God’s promise to raise a righteous leader, a ‘shepherd’ who will rule with wisdom and justice, illuminating the hope for Messianic fulfillment that believers see in Christ (New American Bible, 1970). This context reinforces Christ’s role not only as a spiritual king but also as a model of just leadership.
Biblical Foundations
Biblically, Christ the King Sunday is celebrated through various scriptural readings that echo its core themes. Central to this observance is the acknowledgment of Christ’s everlasting authority and the call for believers to embody his teachings. The readings from the Old Testament, such as the Psalms and the Prophets, and the New Testament, particularly the Gospels and the Epistles, all contribute to the understanding of Christ’s sovereignty and the believer’s commitment to his teachings. One of the focal hymns associated with this celebration is “Jesus Shall Reign” by Isaac Watts (1719). This hymn, with its powerful proclamation, captures the essence of Christ’s influence extending to all corners of the earth, transcending time, and reaffirming the belief in his eternal kingdom. The hymn serves as a musical testament to Christ’s universal sovereignty, a theme that is central to Christ the King Sunday. The hymn’s lyrics, which declare Christ’s reign over all nations and his victory over sin and death, resonate deeply with the feast’s message of Christ’s authority and the believer’s commitment to his teachings. The readings and hymns used during Christ the King Sunday encourage personal reflection on one’s commitment to following Christ and embodying his values of justice and compassion in everyday life. They serve as an invitation for Christians to actively participate in manifesting God’s kingdom on earth, promoting love, mercy, and justice in a world that is in dire need of such principles (Pope Pius XI, 1925, “Quas Primas: Encyclical on the Feast of Christ the King.” Vatican City: Vatican Press).
Modern Relevance and in Sermon
While deeply embedded in Christian theology and practice, the themes of Christ the King Sunday extend beyond Christianity, offering universal insights that resonate with individuals of diverse beliefs. The principles of justice, ethical leadership, and moral authority are values shared across many cultures and religions. Christ’s depiction as a king serves as a template for ethical governance, encouraging leaders globally to prioritize fairness, humility, and community welfare.
In the context of current US leadership, the celebration of Christ the King Sunday can serve as a relevant reminder for leaders to embrace these ideals. In a political environment where divisiveness and partisanship often overshadow unity and service, the themes of justice and compassionate leadership emphasized on this feast day compel contemporary leaders to reflect on their responsibilities to the public. The call for ethical governance resonates especially in discussions of social justice initiatives, healthcare, and community welfare policies, advocating a leadership style that prioritizes the needs of marginalized and disenfranchised groups (Smith, 2023, Leadership Ethics in Today’s Political Climate). Gandhi’s reflections on nonviolent leadership also resonate in this context, reinforcing the power of principled leadership (Johnson, 2018, Gandhi and Christ: The Power of Nonviolent Leadership. New York: Peace Press).
The message echoed during Christ the King Sunday may align with the quests for meaning, social justice, and ethical living pursued by many individuals today.
SECOND THOUGHTSIf You Really Are Him
by Dean Feldmeyer
Luke 23:33-43, Colossians 1:11-20
“If you really are the Messiah, why don’t you save us?” The criminal challenges Jesus to prove he’s the Messiah by saving himself and the two robbers who are being crucified beside him.
The other thief reminds him that they knew the risk they were taking when they decided to get involved in whatever criminal enterprise brought them to this point. It’s their own fault. Jesus, on the other hand, he points out, “has done nothing wrong” — a discernment that will see him joining Jesus “in paradise” before the day is through.
The condemned and condemning man does not believe in consequences. He believes in an ethic of if-you-can-you-should and you should not be held accountable. And it is no doubt that belief brought him to this place.
In the Culture
I grew up in post WWII and post Korean War America. The movies and television were filled with Americans using violence to win out over evil. On TV there was “Combat” and “The Gallant Men.” My favorite comic books were “Sgt. Rock” and “Captain Storm.” War movies? There were too many to name here, but a quick internet search will offer up scores of titles. (I recommend “Run Silent, Run Deep,” “12 O’Clock High” and “The Battle of the Bulge.”)
So, when Good Friday rolled around every year my fantasies turned to a comic book front cover featuring me dressed in torn army fatigues, a bandage on my bicep, my helmet askew on my head, dirt on my face, a Thompson sub-machine gun in my arms, and bandoliers of ammunition and hand grenades across my chest, protecting Jesus from the Roman Army.
I was convinced I could have saved him. I had a machine gun and hand grenades, after all, and all evil Romans had were swords and spears.
It never occurred to me that Jesus could have saved himself but he chose not to. He could have called down armies of angels, or he could have just out debated Pontius Pilate, Herod, Caiaphas and Annas and walked away a free man.
By doing so he would have saved himself but no one else. And saving himself was not what Jesus was about. He was there to save humanity and that could only be accomplished by way of a sacrifice.
The challenge, “If you are the messiah why don’t you save yourself and us?” is thus answered. Self-saving is not what this messiah does. What the Messiah does is self-sacrifice.
In the Scripture
The challenge comes three time from three different sources.
- The leaders of the people, presumably the priests, the Sadducees who were in charge of the temple and local law scoffed at him —
“He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” - The soldiers also mocked him, offering him sour wine and saying —
“If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself.” - And, finally, even one of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him, and saying —
“Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
When you come IN your kingdom, not when you come INTO your kingdom. Could Luke be hinting at an early doctrine of the return of Jesus in glory…eventually?
It is not until we read Paul’s letter to the Colossians that we hear what an answer to the challenges that the Sadducees, the soldiers, and the criminal place before Jesus and it is not the answer they are looking for. According to Paul, God does save us through Jesus Christ, not by miraculously bringing us down from our various crosses, not by anesthetizing our pain, not by solving our problems, but by giving us strength to endure them. And that strength comes through the gifts of endurance and patience that Jesus demonstrated on the cross of Calvary.
In the Sermon
Self-saving is not what Jesus was about, and neither is it what his church is called to be about. We are not called to save ourselves but to save humanity, to be the bread and the wine broken and poured out for the salvation of the world.
If we choose to follow the example of our Lord and sacrifice ourselves for the salvation of others, we need to be ready for the consequences that such a choice inevitably entails, the ridicule and derision which inevitably come to those who walk with the Savior.
“Whataya gonna save the world?”
“Whataya some kinda do gooder?”
“You know your wasting your time. They’ll just spend that money on drugs.”
“Ya just gotta accept that some people are just beyond saving.”
“If I were you, I’d be looking out for myself. No one else is going to.”
Ours is a difficult, often painful calling. Following the example of our Lord, Jesus Christ, doing as he commands, as he did, will, not always but sometimes, even often mean deprivation, ridicule, persecution, and even death — figuratively and literally.
But that’s okay because there’s a promise that comes with the challenge …
In three days, we will rise again.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Tom Willadsen:Christ the King/Reign of Christ
Today is the last day of the church year. The church year starts four Sundays before Christmas. The last Sunday of the church is called both “Christ the King” Sunday, and “Reign of Christ” Sunday. This festival goes all the way back to ...1925, when Pope Pius XI added it to the calendar.
“The feast emphasizes the true kingship of Christ after the upheavals resulting from World War I and the end of all four major monarchies in Europe. It was meant to respond to the rise of atheism and secularization.” (Feast of Christ the King - Wikipedia) It was set as the last Sunday of the church year in 1970.
For Americans, who fought a revolution to drive out dynastic government, who built into our constitution the prohibition against bestowing titles — seriously, in the 1920s some people objected to calling Babe Ruth “the Sultan of Swat” and Benny Goodman “the King of Swing,” a decade later — because NO ROYAL TITLES! — observing Christ the King Sunday is exotic, if not downright weird.
No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.
[U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 9, Clause 8]
There may be a challenge in some congregations who are all in the on the No Kings ethos to even lift up Christ as King in this moment.
* * *
Luke 22:33-43
In Matthew and Mark, the Aramaic word for skull, “Golgotha” is used. Luke translates the term.
The earliest versions of Luke’s gospel do not include v. 34, “Then Jesus said, Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” This verse is frequently alluded to and cited. My personal favorite is the 10,000 Maniacs’ song “Please Forgive Us,” which spoke to the United States’ military interventions in Central America, which were uncovered during the Iran-Contra hearings during Ronald Reagan’s second term in office.
Verse 43, “(Jesus) replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’” offers enormous hope to some Christians. “Paradise, originally referring to the Garden of Eden, here the home of the righteous dead prior to the resurrection.” [The Jewish Annotated New Testament, editors Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler, New York: Oxford University Press, 2011, p. 148n.]
* * *
Colossians 1:11-20
Verses 15-20 can be read as a hymn of praise to Christ. According to The Annotated Jewish New Testament, some of the highest Christology in the New Testament appears in these verses. “Highest” connotes the farthest from the “fully human” dimension on Christ’s two natures.
Christ is both “the firstborn of all creation” (v. 15) and “the firstborn of the dead” (v. 18). The former metaphor has a parallel in Proverbs 8:22-31, in which Wisdom personified is depicted as having been present with the Lord at creation.
* * *
Psalm 46
Perhaps you’ve seen the wall hanging based on Psalm 46:10a:
Be still, and know that I am God
Be still and know that I am
Be still and know
Be still
Be
I have never passed it and been reminded to slow down, calm down, and remember that God is in charge, not me.
* * * * * *
From team member Mary Austin:Colossians 1:11-20
Our Inheritance
The letter to the Colossians promises the early believers — and all of us who come later — that God enables us “to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.” We’re part of the story of God, as our inheritance.
Writing about faith, David Brooks says that religion enfolds our lives “in a sacred story.” Religious symbols “point to ineffable truths and rituals to mark the transitions in our lives. They give us peoplehood, a tradition of music, emotion and thought, an inheritance of spiritual treasures. As Rabbi David Wolpe once wrote: “Spirituality is an emotion. Religion is an obligation. Spirituality soothes. Religion mobilizes. Spirituality is satisfied with itself. Religion is dissatisfied with the world.” These days I go to church more than synagogue. But I’ve learned you can’t take the Jew out of the boy. I’m attracted to Jesus the Jew, not the wispy, ethereal, gentle-faced guy with his two fingers in the air whom Christians have invented and put into centuries of European paintings. The Jewish Jesus emerged amid revolution, violence, and strife. He walked into the center of all the clashing authority structures and he overturned them all. The Jewish Jesus was a total badass.”
Brooks finds a rich inheritance here. He adds, “I find the Jewish concept of “co-creation” is stubbornly baked into my mind. It is our human will, energy, and creativity, working within God’s, that matter.” What a rich inheritance for all of us.
* * *
Luke 23:33-43
Wild Hope
Jesus promises paradise to his neighbor thief on the cross, when their mutual suffering ends. I wonder if this neighbor secretly wanted what the other thief was asking for — to get off the cross and be saved from this torture? What Jesus offers feels so improbable that it could only come from one of God’s messengers.
Rachel Hackenberg says that this kind of wild hope belongs to God. She reflects, “Hope is a wild creature. Untamable. Wholly within the mysteries of God. Hope is an alien to our daily, bodily existence. Whereas I wake up each morning and roll out of bed with the same body I had the night before, with the same aches and illnesses of the prior day, the same routines and essential tasks, the same challenges to navigate, and the same face staring back at me from the mirror, hope has no care for the sameness of life or body or situation. Hope says something else is possible.”
Trying to imagine Christ as any kind of king requires that kind of wild, otherworldly hope, first embodied for us by the criminal on the cross with Jesus — and the criminal Jesus himself.
* * *
Psalm 46
Be Still
After all the tumult of God’s presence, the psalmist calls us back to silence, with the invitation to “Be still.” The mountains roar and shake, the waters rise, and the nations are in an uproar, and we’re summoned to enjoy a restful silence. If we can.
Julian Treasure, a sound expert, says we have to learn to savor silence again.
He writes, “Silence is a very important sound. Like nature sounds, we’ve rather lost contact with it in our noisy city environments. Many people who go to the country feel uncomfortable with the silence. If that’s you, try to challenge that because it’s very important to have a good relationship with silence. It’s your baseline. It’s the sound that makes all other sounds make sense. Without silence, everything becomes cacophony.”
He suggests, “If you’ve lost contact with silence, rediscover it. Give yourself a couple of minutes of silence a few times a day. You might have to go into a broom cupboard or a bathroom to get it. It’s important to reestablish your connection with that baseline. Refresh your ears because it will help you to listen afresh. There’s a reason that silence is at the heart of every spiritual tradition: in silence, you encounter yourself and your connection with whatever is important to you. Rediscover silence and you will discover many benefits.”
Be still, and know God.
* * *
Jeremiah 23:1-6
The Reign of Christ
Speaking through the prophet Jeremiah, God announces that the people of God need a different kind of leader. God promises, “I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply.” Next, God says, “I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall no longer fear or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing.”
As Christians, we find that kind of leader in Jesus, and seek to live in the world he would create. In How to Have an Enemy: Righteous Anger and the Work of Peace, Melissa Florer-Bixler recalls that “we are called to the reign of God. The renewed order of Jesus’ reign of love and peace is not designed for the destruction of anyone. As long as there are victims, there are victimizers. As long as there are oppressors, they will act on the oppressed. Our struggles are intertwined. Our participation in the destructive force of violence and death leads to our mutual ruin. When we answer the call to the interconnectedness of our struggles, of our ability to participate in the world as both victim and victimizers, the good news has found its way to us.”
To truly celebrate Reign of Christ Sunday, we need to act. Florer-Bixler says, “We declare “Jesus is Lord” by ripping out the systems of death and destruction that dominate our lives, and by planting something new in their place.” May it be so.
* * * * * *
From team member Chris Keating:Jeremiah 23:1-6
Denouncing failed shepherds
Jeremiah spares no words to denounce the failed leaders of Judah. He proclaims God’s judgment against kings, priests, and prophets charged with shepherding the vulnerable and powerless. Things are so bad that Yahweh has decided to become the shepherd to the scattered remnant of Judah.
Jeremiah’s criticisms of the failed shepherds of his time are rooted in God’s passionate commitment with powerless victims, even though those victims remain unnamed. A good question to consider is, “Who are the reckless shepherds today, and can we identify their victims?”
In our day, such victims include the large numbers of children and adolescents who are victims of sex trafficking. Yet they are largely overlooked by the shadow cast by the political sideshow created by our focus on the bougie businessmen, princes, and politicians such as those included in Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged “client list.” Those names are familiar to us, while Epstein’s victims are largely unknown.
Even worse, attempts at holding these powerful yet wicked shepherds accountable becomes blurred by silliness such as Megyn Kelly’s odd suggestion that, technically, Epstein was not a pedophile because of his interest in “barely legal” teenagers. “I’m just giving you facts,” Kelly said last week, “that he wasn’t into, like, 8-year-olds. But he liked the very young teen types that could pass for even younger than they were, but would look legal to a passerby.”
Good to know. Of course, our laws are intended to protect all minors from sexual abuse. Kelly’s inane rambling misses the point that those powerful shepherds failed to protect the vulnerable who were traded like playing cards. It is a reminder, as Kathryn Robb notes, that we remain more focused on the political spectacle and are less concerned about the lasting injuries inflicted on Epstein’s victims.
* * *
Colossians 1:11-20
Confronting darkness
The epistle of Colossians invites hearers, both ancient and modern, to shape their lives according to the story of Jesus, and not the story of human rulers. The power of Christ is described as the inheritance of the saints in the light, representing a call to endure and hope even as darkness surrounds us.
One of the twentieth century’s most remarkable saints in the light was Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor, theologian, and martyr who was executed by the Nazis at the end of World War II. In speaking out against Hitler and the evils he imposed, Bonhoeffer demonstrated his desire to shape his life with the spiritual wisdom conveyed in Colossians. One quote in particular captures the essence of his commitment to discipleship: “Jesus Christ lived in the midst of his enemies. At the end all his disciples deserted him. On the cross he was utterly alone, surrounded by evildoers and mockers. For this cause he had come, to bring peace to the enemies of God. So the Christian, too, belongs not in the seclusion of a cloistered life but in the thick of foes.”
* * *
Colossians 1:11-20
Morning light
A morning prayer that Bonhoeffer wrote during his imprisonment offers another illustration of God’s light in even the darkest moments of life.
God, I call to you early in the morning,
help me pray and collect my thoughts,
I cannot do so alone.
In me it is dark, but with you there is light.
I am lonely, but you do not abandon me.
I am faint-hearted, but from you comes my help.
I am restless, but with you is peace.
In me is bitterness, but with you is patience.
I do not understand your ways,
but you know [the] right way for me.
(See Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison, ed. Victoria J. Barnett, trans. Isabel Best et al., Reader’s Edition, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2015), 171.)
* * *
Colossians 1:11-20
Rescued from darkness
Last week, geomagnetic storms provide a primetime glimpse of the aurora borealis to millions in the United States who normally don’t get a chance to see that elegant display in their backyards. The storms brough the Northern Lights visible to many states, including Missouri, Tennessee, New Mexico, and even Florida.
The night the lights were most visible in St. Louis found me responding to a suicide death as a police chaplain. These calls come with some frequency, though they are never routine. My role is to be available to the officers and to families in whatever way needed. Often it is a silent ministry of presence that might be compared to Paul’s understanding Christ’s presence as reflecting “the image of the invisible God.”
I stood outside an apartment where a teenaged father had taken his life. Several officers and I were waiting for detectives to finish their work. Several of the cops aimed their cell phones toward the sky to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights. Sure enough, the bright waves of purple and green appeared. Invisible to the eye, the colors were vibrant through the lens of a camera. It was breathtaking.
A moment later, the young man’s girlfriend was sobbing in my arms, pleading with God for answers. I know better than trying to answer that question. Yet another reality struck me. Even in the darkness of that moment, the promise of God’s light surrounded us. It wasn’t visible to our eyes, but it was there. It offered a poignant reminder of the way Paul described Christ as the one who “has rescued us from the power of darkness,” (v. 13). It was a reassuring hint of light, even on a dark night.
* * *
Luke 23:33-43
Jesus and the powers of the world
Luke’s depiction of the crucifixion dramatically reveals the power of God confronting the powers of the world. Yet it is a power that the world will not understand. The crowds and bystanders mock Jesus, calling him to save himself. Yet only a thief realizes that Jesus’ suffering conveys the power of love in a world driven by inferior powers of domination. The narrative reveals the triumph of God’s powers over the caustic, but ultimately impotent, powers of the world.
This September, the Rev. David Black, a Presbyterian pastor from Chicago, was pepper sprayed by officers from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. Black was saying a prayer with protestors outside of an ICE detention facility. A photo of the moment from the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper captured the clash between the peaceful protestors with ICE and quickly went viral.
In an interview with Sojourner’s Magazine, Black described his involvement with protesting Trump immigration policies as offering an “incredible spiritual power” residing within Christians.
I was never the smartest seminarian in the systematic theology classes, but I read my Bible every day and I feel very deeply rooted in the scriptures and very formed by what I see Jesus teaching us and how he’s calling us to imitate him. I was moved in that moment to pray in the verbatim words of Jesus, to warn the ICE officers who were standing on the roof about the spiritual consequences of their actions in language that was an echo of scriptural prophetic language talking about how generations after them would view their actions, and calling them to repent.
I quoted Jesus. I said, “Repent and believe the good news, the kingdom of God is at hand.” I invited them to an altar call. As I was speaking the words of Jesus that come to us through scripture, they opened fire on me and they shot me [with pepper balls] at least seven times, twice on the head, also on my torso, my arms, my legs, and very rapid fire.”
* * * * * *
WORSHIPby George Reed
Call to Worship
One: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel.
All: For God has looked favorably on us and redeemed us.
One: God has raised up a mighty savior for us!
All: God has fulfilled the words of the prophets from of old.
One: In mercy God’s dawn shall shine upon us!
All: God will lead us into the paths of peace.
OR
One: Come and worship the Christ who reigns over all.
All: We bow before Jesus the Christ, our Redeemer.
One: If Christ reigns then we need to follow him.
All: We join together as followers of God’s Christ.
One: To truly follow Jesus we must not follow others.
All: Our allegiance is to Jesus Christ and him alone.
Hymns and Songs
All Creatures of Our God and King
UMH: 62
H82: 400
PH: 455
GTG: 15
AAHH: 147
NNBH: 33
NCH: 17
CH: 22
LBW: 527
ELW: 835
W&P: 23
AMEC: 50
STLT: 203
Renew: 47
Praise, My Soul the King of Heaven
UMH: 66
H82: 410
PH: 620
CH: 23
LBW: 549
ELW: 864/865
W&P: 82
AMEC: 70
Renew: 53
Blessed Be the God of Israel
UMH: 209
H82: 444
GTG: 109
CH: 135
ELW: 552
W&P: 158
All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name
UMH: 154/155
H82: 450/451
PH: 142/143
GTG: 263
AAHH: 292/293/294
NNBH: 3/5
NCH: 304
CH: 91/92
LBW: 328/329
ELW: 634
W&P: 100/106
AMEC: 4/5/6:
Renew: 45
Jesus Shall Reign
UMH: 157
H82: 544
PH: 423
GTG: 265
NNBH: 10
NCH: 300
CH: 95
LBW: 530
ELW: 434
W&P: 341
AMEC: 96
Renew: 296
Lift High the Cross
UMH: 159
H82: 473
PH: 371
GTG: 826
AAHH: 242
NCH: 198
CH: 108
LBW: 377
ELW: 660
W&P: 287
Renew: 297
Alleluia, Alleluia
UMH: 162
H82: 178
PH: 106
GTG: 240
CH: 40
W&P: 291
Renew: 271
When Morning Gilds the Skies
UMH: 185
H82: 427
PH: 487
GTG: 667
AAHH: 186
NCH: 86
CH: 100
LBW: 545/546
ELW: 853
W&P: 111
AMEC: 29
Jesus Calls Us
UMH: 398
H82: 549/550
GTG: 720
NNBH: 183
NCH: 171/172
CH: 337
LBW: 494
ELW: 696
W&P: 345
AMEC: 238
Jesu, Jesu
UMH: 432
H82: 602
PH: 367
GTG: 203
NCH: 498
CH: 600
ELW: 708
W&P: 273
CCB: 66
Renew: 289
O God of Every Nation
UMH: 435
H82: 607
PH: 289
GTG: 756
CH: 680
LBW: 416
ELW: 713
W&P: 626
We Will Glorify
CCB: 19
Renew: 33
How Majestic Is Your Name
CCB: 21
Renew: 98
Music Resources Key
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
GTG: Glory to God, The Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELW: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day/Collect
O God who reconciles all things unto yourself through Christ:
Grant us the courage to give him our allegiance
and we bring your reign to its fullness through him;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, for you reconcile all things unto yourself through Christ. In him you draw all into your reign. Help us to give our allegiance to him and only him as you use us to bring your reign to its fullness. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
One: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially when we allow our allegiance to be divided instead of resting fully in your Christ.
All: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have not been faithful to your Christ. We have called him Lord but we have not followed him. We have sold out to the values of this world with its greed and division. We have bowed to false gods. Forgive us and reclaim us as your flock. Amen.
One: God offers us grace and forgiveness and God’s own Spirit to fill us and make us faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. Return your hearts to him and follow him in service to others.
Prayers of the People
Praise and glory to you, O God, and to your Christ through who you gather all creation into your realm. You are the true Shepherd who calls your flock together.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have not been faithful to your Christ. We have called him Lord but we have not followed him. We have sold out to the values of this world with its greed and division. We have bowed to false gods. Forgive us and reclaim us as your flock.
We give you thanks for Jesus who came that we might have abundant life to share with all. We thank you for those who have been faithful to your realm and have truly followed your Christ. We are blessed to be part of your Church which you open to all people.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for others in their need. We lift up to you those who are oppressed by the powers of this world. We pray for those who live in war and violence because others seek power and wealth. We pray for those who are neglected and shunned because we do not recognize your Christ in them.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
Hear us as we pray for others: (Time for silent or spoken prayer.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ who taught us to pray saying:
Our Father....Amen.
(Or if the Our Father is not used at this point in the service.)
All this we ask in the name of the blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
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CHILDREN’S SERMONThe Shepherd King
by Katy Stenta
Jeremiah 23:1-6
Object: Cotton might be a good tool to hand out to the kids so they can all be sheep.
Today we are going to talk about how Jesus is a king, but he is the sort of king that promised to always take care of us, and so for that reason, we often call him a shepherd.
So, in order for Jesus to be shepherd, we are all going to pretend to be sheep.
I’m going to give everyone a bit of fluff to be a sheep. (Pass out a ball of cotton to each person.)
Here are the promises God makes for when Jesus is our shepherd.
Repeat after me:
When Jesus is our Shepherd
When Jesus is our Shepherd
No when will be afraid
No when will be afraid
(This is a tricky one it means sad, or lonely, or discouraged)
No one will be dismayed
No one will be dismayed
No one will be missing
No one will be missing
The shepherd will come and be wise and just and give us value and worth. And everyone will be safe.
Let’s put our sheep in a flock together.
(Pile the cotton balls together in the center and raise your hands over it.)
Let’s pray over the flock…
God be our shepherd.
Bless our flock.
Teach us to treat
One another as beloved sheep.
We pray,
In the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen.
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The Immediate Word, November 23, 2025 issue.
Copyright 2025 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
