“You know what day today is?” Elizabeth asked Barabas.  They are looking at a calendar in the Gathering Space while they wait to go home after church.

Can you say the months of the year with me?  January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.

“Today?  Sunday?” answered Barabas.  “No, I mean the day of the month.” said Elizabeth

“Um eh unnn . . .” answered Barabas, unconcerned.  “It’s November 25.  One month from today is Christmas!  Christmas is coming!  Christmas is coming!” squealed Elizabeth as she excitedly circled around the Gathering Space without regard for the old people there.

“Then why did the lessons today talk about when Jesus died on the cross?  That sounds more like Good Friday.” observed Barabas.      “You must have heard wrong.” Elizabeth said over her shoulder as she started to run again.

I don’t know if you noticed, but Barabas did hear the lesson correctly.  Pastor Brock just read the part to us from the book of Luke where Jesus is on the cross and there was a sign over his head that says “This is the King of the Jews.” 

Here is a cross that is called a crucifix.  It is called a crucifix because it shows how Jesus was crucified.  And it has the little sign here at the top that says “This is the King of The Jews”.

I guess Elizabeth doesn’t know, but today is actually called CHRIST THE KING SUNDAY.  CHRIST THE KING SUNDAY  is the END of the church year.  NEXT Sunday is the First Sunday in Advent, the BEGINNING of the church year.

So, if we had a calendar that listed the church seasons instead of our months it would look like this:

ADVENT
The time we get ready for Christ’s coming
CHRISTMAS
The time we celebrate when Jesus was born here on earth
EPIPHANY
The time when the3 Wise Men (and us) are filled with the light of Christ
LENT
The time we get ready for when Jesus dies on the Cross
EASTER
The time we celebrate Christ’s Resurrection and Ascension
PENTECOST
The time all summer and autumn when we learn the lessons that Jesus
taught when he lived on earth
CHRIST THE KING SUNDAY
The last Sunday in the church year, today!

Barabas thinks it is too early for Elizabeth to be running around shouting about Christmas coming.  And besides that, she should NOT be running around in the Gathering Space. 

So Barabas looked sternly at his best friend in the whole wide world and said “I reckon you need to pipe it down.”  Elizabeth whispered in an exaggerated manner ‘MERRY CHRISTMAS!”  Barabas rolled his eyes, smiled and answered back “HAPPY NEW YEAR!”    THE END

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