Service for Sunday, November 22, 2020: Celebrating the Reign of Christ while Worshipping "In Place"

 

This week's service is provided by the Parish of St. John's, Olds, Alberta.

Readings for Sunday, November 22, 2020

Ezekiel 34: 11-16, 20-24

Psalm 95: 1-7a

Ephesians 1: 15-23

The Gospel of Matthew 25: 31-46

We give thanks for Rev. Dr. Robert Sears

and the parishioners of St. John's, Olds,

for providing this opportunity to worship.

Christ the King 

Our King is calling from the hungry furrows

Whilst we are cruising through aisles of plenty,

Our hoardings screen us from the man of sorrows,

Our soundtracks drown his murmur: 'I am thirsty'.

He stands in line to sign in as a stranger

And seek a welcome from the world he made,

We see him only as a threat, a danger,

He asks for clothes, we strip-search him instead.

And if he should fall sick then we take care

That he does not infect our private health,

We lock him in the prisons of our fear

Lest he unlock the prison of our wealth.

But still on Sunday we shall stand and sing

The praises of our hidden Lord and King.

-- The Feast of Christ the King,

a sonnet by Malcolm Guite*,

from Sounding the Seasons, Canterbury Press, 2012

*To hear the sonnet read aloud by the poet, click HERE and scroll down.