Melek ha olam
Coming up, the church commemorates the last Sunday of the church year as Christ the King Sunday, designated by the Pope in, as I recall, 1925, as a confrontation with civil governments that were establishing unaccountable total dictatorships. That's in my mind as key appointments are announced for our upcoming administration.
Also and always in mind is where we are in the Universe of trillions of galaxies, with Earth and our solar system in an outlying place of one of them, our Milky Way we call it. And theologies not evolved all that much since the days when it was thought, and the church insisted on penalty of death that folks believe, that Earth was the center of Creation and the object of all that God had in mind. As I mosey on my path of seeking the truth, come whence it may, cost what it will, it's pretty clear that the faith is as geocentric, Ptolemaic, as ever. Does that bother me? Yes, it does, as I try to move beyond mindless ignorance in my travels and contemplations, without trashing all that I've held dear. But then " ... cost what it will."
Here are the main readings for next Sunday, as Jesus and Pilate exchange thoughts about Truth, which is also the object of my own thoughts. What IS truth? Blessed are thou, Lord our God, Melek ha-olam, king of the Universe.
In my current thread, +Time blogposts are not linked on Facebook; so basically, it's just me and a few personal readers, plus the forty jillion people in Hong Kong and other places who are trying to get into me for whatever nefarious reasons.
RSF&PTL
T89&c
Old Testament: Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14
As I watched,
thrones were set in place,
and the Ancient of Days took his throne,
his clothing was white as snow,
and the hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was fiery flames,
and its wheels were burning fire.
A stream of fire issued
and flowed out from his presence.
A thousand thousands served him,
and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him.
The court sat in judgment,
and the books were opened.
As I watched in the night visions,
I saw one like a Son of Man
coming with the clouds of heaven.
And he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him.
To him was given dominion
and glory and kingship,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not pass away,
and his kingship is one
that shall never be destroyed.
The Epistle: Revelation 1:4b-8
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Look! He is coming with the clouds;
every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail.
So it is to be. Amen.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
The Gospel: John 18:33-37
Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” [Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?]