Warm-up Question
- What is your favorite holiday? Share some of the reasons why you prefer that celebration.
Holiday Origin Stories
Every year we celebrate a number of holidays. Some are national in origin, which is why Independence Day is on July 4th in the United States of America, September 16th in Mexico, and June 26th in Madagascar. Others have deep religious meaning, like Christmas, Easter, and Halloween, though each of those holidays now have many secular elements as well.
Too often, we only tell one part of the holiday’s origin story. Take, for instance, the celebration of Christmas. Of course, for Christians, this centers around the birth of Christ. Yet, there’s no obvious connection between Jesus’s birthday and bringing pine trees into our homes, eating candy canes, or hanging socks above a fireplace. While some articles, like this one, aggregate some of that history to give a bit more context, there’s volumes of books on the history of each holiday.
Of course, you don’t have to know everything about a holiday’s origins to enjoy it with your loved ones. Yet, learning more about the holiday can help you to appreciate it more deeply, as well as explain to others why you do–or do not–participate in some of the day’s traditions. So take some time to investigate the history of your favorite holidays and ask yourself: now that I know more about this, how does that change the way I feel about this event?
Discussion Questions
- What’s one holiday you want to learn more about?
- If you happen to know the origins of a specific holiday tradition, share that story with a friend.
Reign of Christ Sunday
(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year A at Lectionary Readings.)
For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.
Reflection on the Gospel
Many Christians across the world celebrate this Sunday as The Reign of Christ. If you think that this holiday has ancient origins like Christmas, Easter, or Pentecost, consider this: this festival is only 99 years old! Though the words from our Gospel have Christ claiming this ultimate authority nearly 2,000 years ago, it was only in the last century that the church declared a specific day to commemorate that reality. Why is that?
Much like other holiday traditions, the historical context matters significantly. In the early 20th century, after the devastation of World War I, nationalism and authoritarianism began to arise in throughout Europe. In Italy, this appeared as fascism, which took official power in 1922. Note that this is the same time that its political ally, Nazism, grew in popularity in Germany. In the face of such claims of ultimate power by political authorities, Pope Pius XI declared a feast day, “Domini Nostri Jesu Christi Regis,” The Feast of our Lord of Reigns. This is a political statement. It does not support any particular party or leader, but instead puts all governments and parties on notice: whatever power they may have is always subject to the King who is Jesus Christ.
In the midst of today’s political unrest, along with threats of parties and politicians whose power seems unmatched, we stand to benefit from this declaration as well. Our ultimate allegiance is not to a party, or even a Christian denomination, but to Christ. Our worship belongs not to worldly rulers but heavenly powers. Our salvation is not in the hands of a general or president, a monarch or a congress, but only in the hands that were pierced in a cross outside of Jerusalem two thousand years ago. This Christ, who was born in a barn and crucified as a traitor to the empire, may seem powerless.
But this is the only King who has ever risen from the dead.
Discussion Question
- How does this history change your perspective on Reign of Christ Sunday?
Activity Suggestion
- Do a media experiment. For one day, keep track of how many advertisements you see via email, on social media, on websites, and on television or streaming services. Then, ask yourself:
- How many of them either claim some kind of power or seek some kind of allegiance from you?
- How do you understand them being subject to the Reign of Christ?
Closing Prayer
God Who Reigns, save us from ourselves. Where there is pride, correct it with humility. Where there is hatred, counter it with love. Where there is violence, defeat it with peace. In all things, remind us that your reign is not of this world. Remind us that that your power will look different than that of our worldly rulers. Inspire us to trust in your reign over all others that seek our allegiance. In that name of Jesus, the One who reigns and the One who died and rose to life, we pray: Amen.
