Year A Christmas Day 2025 Traditions 2025

 Year A Christmas Day, 25 December 2025, 9:30 am

St George’s Episcopal, Ashland, VA

“Traditions 2025”

Collect: Almighty God, you have given your only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and to be born [this day] of a pure virgin: Grant that we, who have been born again and made your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit; through our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with you and the same Spirit be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

John 1:1-14

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.

We all have them. We might not see them as Traditions, but we do things in the same way for comfort, for ease, for our brains to go on automatic pilot at times, so our souls can find those still, happy places we need. We also carve out space in our days or seasons to do things with intention. Christmas is filled with Traditions, and that means Christmas is filled with Intention.  

Stephanie and I were married on the 19th of December, so on our honeymoon we began the tradition to read the three Gospel accounts of Christmas from Luke, then Matthew, then the prologue to John. And then we read the Gospel according to Dr. Seuss. The Grinch is Gospel, or so I think, as there is a conversion when his heart “grew three sizes that day.” 

We got to read those together yesterday, like we always do. Another Traditional Ritual in the Higgins clan is the eating of Chinese Food which comes from my birth family who always went to the Chinese restaurant after the Christmas Eve service. Wonton Soup might not scream “Happy Birthday, Jesus!” to you. But it does to me. 

Traditions bring us comfort. Traditions warm our hearts. Traditions make us cozy inside. It helps us get through hard days. It is a touchpoint to better times, to times with those we loved. Even if those we love are no longer physically with us, we can keep the traditions so that we can once again hold them close.

Not everyone has merry Christmases, some of them are red and green, but for some, Christmas is blue. Like the old song, our Christmas can turn blue with a loss or during hard times. We are not expected to be perky at all times, no one is. But often people have to pose and put on a happy face if they are struggling because that is what is “expected.”

Faking it makes the struggle even worse. No matter the reason, the season can exacerbate the sense of isolation and shame. Remember those who are blue instead of holly and jolly.

We are living in hard times for so many, too many. The human body and mind is not made to live in a constant state of agitation or fear. We have come into a time where there is a lack of trust. A time when institutions and leaders are held in a level of contempt and distrust. And it is a hard way forward. These dark days at Christmas are not new. 

The story around our hymn “I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day” is one that always speaks to me, especially when those somber feelings come up during the holidays. The song comes from a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. A simple song, a throwaway song almost until you hear the words with Longfellow’s thoughts in your mind. 

Two years after his wife died in a tragic accident, which also left him permanently scarred, Longfellow’s son enlisted in the Union Army in the Civil War. Receiving a grave wound, Charley, Longfellow’s son, was in hospital in Washington, D.C. Longfellow joined him there to help in his recovery. On Christmas Day, in the midst of personal tragedy and in his beloved country ripping itself apart, he penned these words.   

I heard the bells on Christmas Day 

Their old, familiar carols play, 

And wild and sweet,  the words repeat 

Of peace on earth, good-will to men! 

And thought how, as the day had come, 

The belfries of all Christendom 

Had rolled along the unbroken song 

Of peace on earth, good-will to men! 

Till ringing, singing on its way, 

The world revolved from night to day, 

A voice, a chime, a chant sublime 

Of peace on earth, good-will to men! 

And in despair I bowed my head; 

"There is no peace on earth," I said; 

“For hate is strong, and mocks the song 

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!" 

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: 

"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; 

The Wrong shall fail, the Right prevail, 

With peace on earth, good-will to men." 

And that poem became a song. We can sing it when we are tired and beaten by a world that ignores the message of Hope and Love we share at Christmas. 

One cannot be cynical and call oneself a disciple of Christ. It is as hypocritical as the bigot, the sexist, the blatant sinner. Cynicism is a sin of the heart. And this song reminds us of that, and that Hope conquers all, especially the hardness of our hearts. 

This year, I look to the Christ Child in hope, and in trust. I have to. This year we have had to remain hopeful when we hear names we may not have known before, but now these places are scars on our souls. Bondi Beach, the Los Angeles wildfires, flooding in Southeast Asia, Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean and so many, too many more tragedies, places where hardness of heart makes it all the worse.  

And in despair I hung my head. 

There is no peace on earth, I said, 

for hate is strong and mocks the song 

of peace on earth good will towards men.

Longfellow's words haunt me as surely as Scrooge’s ghosts haunted him.

But it is Christmas, and at Christmas you tell the truth, or so Love Actually says. I have to have Hope.

It is said you can live about 4 weeks without food. Or, about 4 days without water. Your body can survive, or your brain rather, about 4 minutes without air. But I doubt any of us can survive 4 seconds without hope. That is what Christmas is about, the Hope for what the birth of Jesus would mean for the world, and the Hope for the World for what we do in the name of Christ. Hope is the gift and message of Christmas.

Speaking of Hope, one of my favorite Christmas traditions is Charlie Brown’s Christmas Special. From 1965, 60 years ago this year, it was controversial even when it first was shown. The CBS executives did not want to show it once they previewed it, but they had already advertised its airing days later.

The climax of the special is a boy quoting a Bible story. That’s it. But it is everything!

I heard an interesting piece of trivia, and I have shared it the last few years. I am shocked I had never noticed it before. You see, Linus stops the production of the Christmas show rehearsal to tell Charlie Brown the real meaning of Christmas, and he quotes Luke 2 from the King James Version. 

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field , keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo , the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid . 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold , I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes , lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying , 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 

“That’s the meaning of Christmas, Charlie Brown.” Linus, being a cartoon character, is defined in simple ways. He is a believer, trusting or naive, depending on your point of view. He also is comforted by his security blanket and sucking his thumb. NOT your normal hero. He holds tight to his protection from his insecurities, his baby blue blanket, and most of us cannot think of Linus without it. 

But if you go back to watch the video, and I did a couple of times to make sure, while he is quoting Luke, a most amazing thing happens. As soon as he says “Fear not!” his hand disappears from the screen and it returns without the blanket. The boy who is so timid, so fearful, goes center stage and lets go of his fears, or at least his fledgling comfort from his fears. His “security” dropped at his feet. You see, the one who can stand with Linus, the one who can stand beside Longfellow in his pain and grief, the one who can stand beside me in my weakness and insecurities and you in yours has come into the world. “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”  

Maybe that is the greatest Christmas Tradition of them all, and it started with Mary unsure if she would be stoned for being pregnant and unwed, then Joseph wondering what people will think of this scandal, then the Shepherds afraid of the heavenly host, and then all the way down to us. And we gather still under threat of civil strife, terrorism, wars and rumors of war, the collapse of our democracy, and so many other big, bad things, we hold onto hope and offer it to a suffering world. Immanuel, God-with-us, encourages us and is with us through all of it. That is Christmas, and always will be. The words of the angels come to us today, “Fear Not.” And that my friends, is a Tradition to keep, especially in 2026! Let it be our rallying cry. Let it be our shield, whatever this year may bring. Have Hope, and Fear Not! Amen

Year A Advent 4 2025 Make A Place

 Year A Advent 4, 21 December 2025

St George’s Episcopal, Fredericksburg, VA

“Make a Place”

Collect: Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Isaiah 7:10-16

Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test. Then Isaiah said: “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.”

Romans 1:1-7

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,

To all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 1:18-25

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,”

which means, “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

Nesting is something parents do to prepare for a newborn—creating a space of love and welcome. I remember those days vividly: finding the perfect crib, painting waves on the nursery walls for our nautical theme, every brushstroke saying, “I love you” to someone we hadn’t met yet. Advent is like that. It’s the Church’s nesting season—a time to prepare room for Christ. We get the room ready. We build the furniture. We may paint it with warm and inviting colors. 

Part of our preparation is getting in the mood. Often we do it with singing. We sing this every year: 

O holy Child of Bethlehem,

descend to us, we pray;

cast out our sin and enter in;

be born in us today.

We hear the Christmas angels,

the great glad tidings tell;

O come to us, abide with us,

our Lord Emmanuel!

That hymn is a prayer of preparation—asking Christ to make his home in us. 

We see it also in the collect for today, the 4th Sunday of Advent: 

Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself… 

My family will be moving soon, and we are eagerly awaiting the day when soon the home being built will be done, all inspections approved, and closing finalized. It is a first for us, having always moved into older homes, to get a new construction has been fascinating to me.

When they poured the slab for the foundation, I got excited. The walls went up. I could really see it then. When they installed the roof, I knew it was good and on time for us to be in by our expected due date, and the interior would be safe and dry if inclement weather happened. Insulation, wiring, drywall, every step of the way I was fascinated, hopeful, and excited. And now the reality is setting in. 

It is a smaller house than what we are in now, with the kids in school we can downsize for the next stage of our lives. We can choose what we keep, and what we part ways with. These choices are when we really see how this one choice will affect the rest of our lives.

What we keep, what we chuck. One of my favorite thinkers, Dr. Dallas Willard, says that that is what defines us as humans, our treasures. Or as Jesus put it, 

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. [Matthew 6:21]

I love when children show me what they treasure, whether it is a stuffed animal or a special rock that is like no other, at least to them. When someone shares what they love, they are really sharing who they are filtered through what they hold most dear. Whether a story of a favorite memory, or a piece of art they made, I always thank people for sharing with me because it is a piece of their heart.

We protect and cherish what we treasure. And we make room for that. In our packing, my wife and I talked about our keepsakes, which is just another word for treasure, which leads to what we value the most. She has her treasures and I have mine, and we have our treasures, the memories of our 33 years together and the life we have made with one another. Thankfully, from the beginning, our faith has been a huge part of our joint life, and for that I am so grateful.

What we choose to be a part of our lives, and what we leave out, is the foundation of discernment. And as followers of Christ, we are called to be discerning. Discernment is not choosing the path between the good and the bad. That is common sense. Discernment is choosing the path between the good and the good, and listening for that still small voice which tells us what is the right, and good, and true, and what is not. Discernment is often hard to see looking ahead, but in looking back we wonder how we could have chosen any other path.

Professor Willard also tells the story of growing up in Tennessee during the expansion of electricity under the Tennessee Valley Authority.  He remembers the family meeting with his parents and uncles and aunts where they all discussed whether they were going to bring in this new and potentially dangerous idea, electricity, into their homes on the shared family farm. They pondered what it could mean, both the good and the bad.  One thing that they did realize was that whatever it did bring, it would change everything.  He goes on to say that that last statement was more true than they knew.  

After taking electricity into their homes, it changed the rest of their lives.  They could not believe what a difference instant light made. They were overjoyed with refrigeration. Their fears were forgotten because the new was so different and so much better that they embraced electricity with all their hearts. He says it is the same with Jesus and his teachings.

So we stand on the cusp of Christmas, with New Year’s coming close behind. If you are like me, I can hardly believe how this year has flown by, and at the same time how this has been a hard one. At the end of the year, however the year went,  I try to do two things. I review my calendar, to see how I really spent my time. And I go over my spending for the year. That used to be my checkbook, but now my spending is on a screen. My time and my treasure, or money rather, says what it is I really hold most important. Am I spending those precious resources the way I want to spend them? That is my discernment that only I can do.

But I say I follow Christ, and this preparatory season of Advent, is that nesting to commit and get ready for Jesus. As I said, our collect speaks of “a mansion prepared for him.” And to make a mansion requires a lot of time, a lot of talent, and a lot of treasure. And I have to discern a path to get to that. By the things I keep and the things I release.

Mary and Joseph did not have a lot of choice when it came down to nesting for them. Jesus arrived at the least opportune time. They were far from home, away from relatives. And yet, we see them making do with where they are and what they have. A stable. A manger. Because it really comes back to the love that surrounds the event, and not the stuff that goes along with it. 

What is it you need to run towards and embrace to make that room for Christ? What is it that needs to be released? Only you can answer those questions. 

I will close with this. 

In high school, my a capella choir sang a hauntingly beautiful song based on a medieval devotional poem by Robert Herrick. Though written in the 1600s, it could not be more timely, or pertinent to today.

Christ’s Part by Robert Herrick

Christ, He requires still, wheresoe'er He comes

To feed or lodge, to have the best of rooms:

Give Him the choice; grant Him the nobler part

Of all the house: the best of all's the heart.

It’s not too late. It is still Advent. May we prepare that place for Christ. Amen

Year A Advent 1 WED 2025 Be Ready

 Year A Advent 1 WEDNESDAY, 3 December 2025

St George’s Episcopal, Ashland, VA

“Be Ready” 

Collect

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Romans 13:11-14

You know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Psalm 122  BCP pp. 779-780

Matthew 24:36-44

Jesus said to the disciples, “But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”

In my article in the newsletter coming out tomorrow you may see me remind us that Advent is about being found, not seeking. It is not an active role for us. God finds us.

But today I am going to look at what it is we do in Advent. There are actions, but they flow from the action of God.

In our Romans passage, it says that we should be awake. “You know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep.” Do not confuse this with the idea bandied around in our political speech, being WOKE. Not the same. St Paul urges us to avoid the darkness and put on the armor of light. Our work, especially at Advent, is to prepare for the Arrival.

When we have folks coming over we tidy. We prepare for their coming. We make sure our breath doesn’t stink, and we are somewhat presentable. We get ready. The main act is their coming over, while our secondary preparatory act is being prepared for when it happens.

In Jesus’s teaching to his disciples he warns them, it could happen at any time. 

Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.

Jesus even says he does not know when he is arriving, so anyone who says that they know is pulling your leg.

I used to work with a missionary training center, and one of the instructors was a former missionary who told the story of living in a village in the Philippines. The village where they were assigned had houses built above ground in case of flooding, and they were on stilts about 4 to 5 feet off the ground. The wife of the couple was not pleased because the dogs and cats and chickens and the roosters of the village would wander under their house all the night long and keep her up. She was sleep deprived, homesick, and driving herself and anyone who would listen a bit crazy. After being there a few months, there was one night when all the world seemed to stop, and the missionary couple slept soundly through the whole night. When they woke up, they were so happy after having a good night’s sleep. That is, until they looked around. Everything. Absolutely everything in their possession was gone. Like the Grinch who took everything, 

“And the one speck of food that he left in the house 

was a crumb that was even too small for a mouse.”

The clothes and the dressers they were in were totally gone. The only thing left behind was the bed they were sleeping in.

When they went outside, their neighbors were shocked. How could the missionary couple be so simple to not be awake and ready? They even asked, “How could you sleep? Didn’t you hear the silence?” 

You see, in their culture, the silence is the sign that the thieves have come down from the hills, killed the dogs and captured the livestock. When it is quiet is when you stay awake. They had their warning.

Jesus says the same to us. This is your warning. It could come at any time. Be ready. My wife and I are watching Ken Burn’s The American Revolution and it explained the Minutemen of the Massachusetts Militia who could be ready in a minute to answer the call.

Advent is our time to get ready. To be prepared for Christ’s return, and to prepare our hearts for the season of remembering his first time around. 

Be ready, friends. We don’t want to leave anyone behind. Amen

Advent 1 CELTIC 2025 Come Thou Long Expected Jesus

 Advent 1, 30 November 2025

St George’s Episcopal. Fredericksburg, VA

“Come Thou Long Expected Jesus”

Collect: Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Matthew 24:36-44

Jesus said to the disciples, “But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”

And so we begin, again. Today we start the liturgical year with the first Sunday of Advent. This is Year A where most of our Gospel readings come from the Gospel of Matthew, for those of you keeping track.

Advent means the “Arrival,” or the “Coming.” We wait for Jesus to arrive the first time, retelling the Christmas anticipatory stories, and we also look ahead waiting for Jesus to arrive again. It is a season of both/and, Jesus is long awaited, and look busy, Jesus is coming back.

Tonight’s reading covers that well. Jesus warns his followers that we must be ready AND that it could happen at any time. Being ready is our side of things. I was a Boy Scout, and our motto said the same thing, “Be prepared.” But the other side is just as important, it could happen at any time. You may remember just a few weeks ago there were many who believed that the rapture was coming and they spread their mania that it was imminent, and even named a day for it back in September. But here lies the problem, Jesus says in tonight’s reading NO ONE KNOWS THE DAY OR HOUR, NOT EVEN JESUS!

I am not sure how this is news to anyone, Moses was not expecting God when he encountered the Burning Bush where he heard God’s call. St Paul, when he was blinded by the light on the Road to Damascus definitely did not expect Jesus to correct him and redirect the rest of his life. God breaks through when God breaks through. That is why we are always to be ready. It could happen at any time.

Our Advent is about our waiting. Sometimes we see the waiting tied to the matriarchs/patriarchs, and sometimes we hear the cry of the prophets to change our ways. But both sat in wait, they sat in hope, and they sat in anticipation. They were looking ahead. Because if God is the way they thought God would be, then God would find and provide a way out of the mess we find ourselves in, or more often, the mess we put ourselves in.

One time, when my daughter was three, no more than four years old, we were shopping at Target. It was the whole family. And somehow, Sojo, our youngest, just disappeared! She was there and all of a sudden, she was gone. Not taking any chances, I told my wife to stay with our other kid and search, thinking maybe she was in a clothes rack playing hide-n-seek, or something. Meanwhile, I would run to the door so that she would not get past us or no one would get out with her. As a parent, there are few things so scary as having a lost child.

It was only a couple of minutes, and sure enough, I saw her down the first aisle hoofing it for the front door as fast as her stubby little legs could carry her. She was alone, but going full blast for the exit.

I went towards her and when she saw me, her eyes lit up and she smiled and said, “I knew you’d find me!”

I could have wrung her neck, but the comfort of having her safe and sound outweighed everything. Now I had a talk with her about where she was headed. She thought she would just meet us at the car. Talk about scary. But I let her know that the next time she got lost to stay where she is, and look for us. To head for an aisle and not to move, and definitely do not leave the store to go to the car.

While funny now, my love for her drove my worry and fear. But her words are the most apt description of Advent. “I knew you’d find me!” The cry of the matriarchs and patriarchs was to be found. The call of the prophets was to get ready, to REPENT because we were waiting for the Chosen One of God who would come, and the Chosen One could come at any time. And maybe that is where your heart is tonight. In hope, maybe you came here tonight, hoping to find and be found by God.

I know I did. As Charles Wesley wrote in his celebrated hymn:

Come, thou long expected Jesus,

born to set thy people free;

from our fears and sins release us,

let us find our rest in thee.

Israel's strength and consolation,

hope of all the earth thou art;

dear desire of every nation,

joy of every longing heart.

Or maybe our prayer is even simpler—maybe it’s Sojo’s words: “I knew you’d find me.” Amen

Christ the King Sunday 2025 Youth Sunday

 Christ the King , 23 November 2025

St George’s Episcopal, Fredericksburg, VA

Youth Sunday

Collect: Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Colossians 1:11-20

May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers-- all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

Luke 23:33-43

When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots to divide his clothing. The people stood by, watching Jesus on the cross; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!" The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!" There was also an inscription over him, "This is the King of the Jews."

One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!" But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

Good morning! It is a joy to be here this morning on this day when our Children and Youth are leading us in worship [at our 11:15 service]. Today is the final Sunday in our liturgical year, Christ the King Sunday. We start in anticipation with Advent, and then the Eternal becomes Flesh at Christmas, followed by the unveiling of who Jesus is at Epiphany, then a short time between which we call Ordinary Time, then we prepare for Easter during Lent, and Holy Week leads to Good Friday but more importantly Resurrection Sunday called Easter. We have Easter season, then Pentecost, and half a year of Ordinary Time which concludes with today, Christ the King. It is important for us to end in this acknowledgement, that the humble woodworker from Nazareth was more than he appeared to be. He is a King, a descendant of King David, and in our faith we can also say he is the Son of God.

This Sunday is the exclamation point on the end of the sentence, or the cherry atop the Sundae. However you see it, as long as you see Jesus is Lord it is okay.

Our readings for this day look at it in many ways, Jeremiah prophesies of a Good Shepherd to come as opposed to the many bad ones we know far too well. He brings up that holy lineage and that rootedness in the line of the Chosen.

Our statement that Jesus is Lord might seem so simple, but it was a riotous act when the first believers said it. Caesar was Lord was the point of the Roman Empire. None other could claim that title. But when the first believers claimed that as a statement of faith their rebellion was far more than religious. It was a statement which was far-reaching and intentional, it was all-encompassing and so deeply personal. It was a dangerous thing to say that “Jesus is Lord” back then. It still is today, if we really mean it.

This morning one of our youth will share her thoughts on our Colossians reading looking at Jesus’ role for those who believe. [The next section is from Sandi D., a youth at St George’s.]

Good morning! Today, in Colossians, we hear Paul speak about finding strength through God saying:

“May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father…”

When I’m stressed—whether it’s homework or an audition—I often try to handle it on my own instead of turning to God, even though I know His strength can carry me through. It's just like our phones: we use them all day, every day, and eventually their battery runs out. A phone can’t work on its own. Once it’s charged, it can do everything it's supposed to. That’s exactly what it’s like with God. When I try to do things on my own, I slowly lose charge. But when I turn to God, I’m recharged—I can power through because His strength is with me.

There are two big truths in what Paul says about God‘s strength. First, it’s God’s strength—not mine. I might try to tough things out, but God’s power will always be there, even when I choose not to see it. When I feel empty, He gives me the energy to keep going.

Second, God’s strength brings patience and joy. Strength isn’t just about surviving; it’s about enduring hard times with patience and knowing God is with you. I’ve met people whose lives radiate God’s love. Last winter, I was part of an organization that called themselves Christian, but didn’t always act in Christian like ways. During that time, my friends and I turned fully to God. We prayed together and reminded each other of His strength. Some of my closest friendships are with people I can talk about faith with, because I truly see God in them and can tell they know God’s always with them. When I lay my problems before God, He gives me the strength to get through—and I know He walks with me always. When I remember that, I can shine with His love and compassion.

God strengthens me because I belong to Him. I am His child—I am never alone.  I am forgiven, loved, and brought into His light. His redemption gives me security and hope. When I remember that I’ve been brought into the light, it changes how I face challenges. I can endure everything with joy because I know I’m not alone. This strength comes from knowing God would do anything for me because He loves me. He has a plan for me, and I trust that plan because He died on the cross for me.

Amen, Sandi! And as she finished, we turn to that. Our Gospel reading from Luke is filled with irony. We call Christ King, and yet he is being executed like a criminal. We call Jesus Lord, and yet he is mocked and derided.

For me, I sense the irony, but Jesus is above it all. Even at the worst, when all seems lost, he is the compassionate savior we know and love. They taunt him saying if he is who people claim, then let him take that authority. To people who do not see right and wrong or only power, they do not understand when we act out of love or are motivated by love.

In the 80s movie WarGames, you may remember how a defense department computer with artificial intelligence wants to play a game. The terrifying premise is that the game the computer chose to play is thermonuclear war. The computer comes very close, but through learning the computer finally figures out that the only way to win the game is not to play at all.

The ones taunting and belittling Jesus were the very ones who were inviting him down to their level to be a part of games that were beneath him, power and violence. He chose to win by not even starting.

Jesus stayed above it all, forgiving them because they had no idea what they were doing. They stripped him naked and gambled for his garment, a single robe. When a condemned man asks to be remembered, just goes beyond a mere remembrance with a promise of admission into his Kingdom that very day. “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” 

How funny that must have seemed to those who heard it, unless it was that condemned man who was given Hope beyond his wildest imaginings. Jesus acted like a King, giving hope, extending charity, claiming authority. The Romans may have killed his body, but nothing could change who Jesus was. The Good Shepherd. “The Lord is our Righteousness.” The Promised Messiah. The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. One of the meanings of the term Messiah is the “Chosen One.” The taunting Roman soldiers even said as much. They could not understand or comprehend that the Chosen One was being executed. Little did they realize that the Chosen One was chosen for exactly this. And for me that is the most important thing of all.

He was Chosen by God before time to do what had to be done. But every morning when I wake up, and every moment throughout my day, I have to choose. Is Jesus my Lord, or not?

Will I follow him, or not? Will I act in Grace, or not? As Sandy preached, will we plug into God’s strength to give us what we need, or not? This Sunday is Christ the King if I choose to make it so, or not. Will I choose the Chosen One. Will Christ be my King, or not?

Friends, it is up to you individually and then all of us collectively to make it so. Will we? Amen