Sunday, November 20, 2016

A Sermon for Christ the King Sunday 

Luke 23:33-43

November 20, 2016

I pulled out a favorite old story about a mythical king and then wrote an update.  The first story is from one of our era's finest minds.  The second draws on the readings for the day and ancient tradition.

You can listen to the whole thing here.  Or you can read Yertle the Turtle on your own and then the second story below.  

A long time ago 
in a land far away
lived a wandering clan
who traveled all day
They camped out at night 
under great starry skies
where they sang and told stories
before closing their eyes

Their leaders sometimes 
heard a voice in the air
who pointed the way 
saying go over there
where the pastures are greener
come travel with me 
I’ll keep you safe 
you’ll be happy and free

So they traveled quite happy for quite a long while
up and down mountains for many a mile
as the traveled they saw many marvelous things
they saw countries with cities and castles and kings

and they said to their leaders we need a king too 
just imagine the king things our own king could do
our king could make speeches and build us a town
with walls up to there we just need us a crown
and a head to accept it oh let’s tell the voice 
that what we need’s a king, yes that is our choice.

so they sent their best talker to talk to the voice 
who said are you sure, that’s just not the best choice
you’ve really done fine as a wandering clan
kingdoms are trouble it’s not a good plan

But the people insisted and the voice said “I give”
so the voice found a king and a place they could live
they piled up great stones over here, over there
they built toll booths and towers way up in the air
they formed a great army and went out to war
for the trouble with kings is they often want more
and kings are not always the best they can be
too often they say, hey what’s in it for me
And that’s how it went with kings one, two and three
the city they built rose spectacularly
with turnpikes and temples and all of that stuff
till finally the people said we’ve had enough
we’re tried of working so hard we are through
we’ll start our own kingdom so phooey on you

And that’s pretty much how it went from that day
kings came and went and were carted away 
their buildings were smashed they were no longer free
for other kings too said “what’s in it for me?”

And through all of these troubles the voice still was heard
as a tiny small sound not as loud as a bird
by the old folks who struggled and tried to recall 
when the voice led the clan and they trusted the call

And the voice never left them and here is the thing
the voice said I’ll teach them a thing about kings
I’ll send them a king who can teach them that kinging 
is more than great walls and loud trumpets and singing

and soon there appeared a new king with no crown
a very plain fellow who walked through the towns 
telling stories of fields and farms birds and trees 
saying kingdoms can be just as plain as all these

but the people weren’t happy they’d waited so long 
for a king like the old days who’d right all the wrong
in the end they got others to take him away 
and hang him up high at the end of the day

It is such a hard lesson we’re still trying to learn
but the voice thinks we’re ready that now is our turn
to learn from the sign tacked on top of that tree
real kings never say, hey what’s in it for me.



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