Resurrection Reflections 
by The Reverend Doctor Jerry Cappel
November 2007
Again and Anew
As I write this, we are approaching the Sunday of November 25th – Christ the King Sunday. It is the last Sunday of the church’s year, and it is intended to point to where the whole year’s Christian journey was leading – to the reign of Christ in our lives. Our hope of Advent, the joy of Christmas, the light of Epiphany, the repentance of Lent, the glory of Easter, the gift of Pentecost and our life’s response in the day’s after Pentecost – are all gathered into the grand conclusion of Christ as King; the Lord of our lives.
By the time you read this, we will have moved into next year’s Advent, where we begin the whole journey again and anew. There is something glorious about that. Now matter how well or how poorly we have made Christ our king last year, with Advent this year we begin again. No matter how well or how poorly we walked with Christ last year, this year we begin afresh. We have a new invitation to come to the party and walk with the Lord. We have a new pair of walking shoes with which to journey. Our membership dues have already been paid in full for the year. All we need to do is put on the shoes and start walking. Perhaps a bunch of us should get together and start walking together to encourage and strengthen each other. Wait a minute – that’s what the church is! We are a walking club.
Then what shall we do with our new year? What trails should we walk, old and new? Are there some steep trails some of us need to climb? Are there some uncertain paths some of us need to carefully negotiate? Who should we invite along? How shall we help each other? Who is going to need some special help this year?
As it is every year, some of us will be traveling on journeys that can be taken only by them and God. We can give them strength for the journey. There are some among us who need to walk a trail they have never been down before. We need to guide them along the way. There are some journeys this church needs to take together. For those, we need to get together. And there are some among us who will need traveling companions if they are to safely navigate their way. Let us be willing and available to them.
In this season of Advent, as we wait in hope for the Christ child to be born in our lives, let us prepare ourselves to follow the star to the manger where God is with us. Let us look around us for ways to be faithful traveling companions together. And in all things, may the peace of Christ be with us.
Fr. Jerry
