Nicole’s e-Pistle

November 19, 2025

Greetings, Friends… Christ the Lord is King!

As you probably already know, there are many special days and seasons in the liturgical year. On Sunday, we will celebrate the “Reign of Christ,” which marks the final Sunday of the year on the Christian calendar. Originally, the Reign of Christ service, which was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925, took place on the last Sunday in October, right before All Saints’ Day. It is not a day that gets nearly as much attention as Christmas, Epiphany, Resurrection Sunday (also known as Easter), or Pentecost Sunday, but it is an important day to commemorate, nonetheless. It is a time to give thanks and praise for the sovereignty of Christ, who is Lord of all creation and is coming again in glory to reign (see Revelation 1:4-8).

The following is an excerpt from the Companion to the Book of Common Worship (Geneva Press, 2003, 151), taken from the PC(USA) website:

The festival of Christ the King (or Reign of Christ) ends our marking of Ordinary Time after the Day of Pentecost, and moves us to the threshold of Advent, the season of hope for Christ’s coming again at the end of time.

The day centers on the crucified and risen Christ, whom God exalted to rule over the whole universe. The celebration of the lordship of Christ thus looks back to Ascension, Easter, and Transfiguration, and points ahead to the appearing in glory of the King of kings and Lord of lords. Christ reigns supreme. Christ’s truth judges falsehood. As the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, Christ is the center of the universe, the ruler of all history, the judge of all people. In Christ all things began, and in Christ all things will be fulfilled. In the end, Christ will triumph over the forces of evil.

Such concepts as these cluster around the affirmation that Christ is King or Christ reigns! As sovereign ruler, Christ calls us to a loyalty that transcends every earthly claim on the human heart. To Christ alone belongs the supreme allegiance in our lives. Christ calls us to stand with those who in every age confessed, “Jesus Christ is Lord!” In every generation, demagogues emerge to claim an allegiance that belongs only to God. But Christ alone has the right to claim our highest loyalty. The blood of martyrs, past and present, witnesses to this truth.

As we get closer to Thanksgiving and Advent and the Christmas season, let us pause today in the midst of the hustle and chaos of life to be grateful for the King who reigns over the whole earth. When the world seems uncertain… when kings, emperors, lords, generals, dictators, prime ministers, presidents, chancellors, and governors fail to protect and serve their people well, we can be assured that we serve a King who gave His very life for us, that we might live. Let us rejoice and follow His example – serving others with hope, peace, joy and love, so that His kingdom will reign in this world. May it be so.

Blessings and Peace,