Prior to the 1970s, those attending church at the end of November heard, “Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people…” and started stirring their Christmas puddings as soon as they got home. Most recipes require the pudding to “mature” to achieve its fullest flavour, and the batter does need some stirring, so this association became strong. But then, the Catholic Church moved the Reign of Christ feast to this Sunday, so that to highlight that Advent celebrates Christ’s eternal rule as much as it anticipates his birth. The Anglicans followed, and lost our beloved Stir-up Sunday – but not its collect, now read early in September. In our parish, this timing works even better. The effect of this prayer is largely the same – we begin stirring the batter for the Christmas Kitchen, of course! – but it does take a whole three months, and the huge investment of energy and sheer force of the “wills of the faithful people”, to assemble the goods we presented to our neighbours on Saturday. I am thankful that it brings us together and contributes to our budget, but I know the extent of sacrifice it involves.     

Talk about the true nature of leadership, imitating that of Christ. “Reign of Christ” got moved in the 70s, but Pope Pius XI created it almost exactly 100 years ago as he was watching dictatorial regimes in Europe replace religion with their own “Opium des Volkes.” The question of who rules the church, the pope or king, became moot; and anyway the Pope’s answer was, “neither”. Today, as the pre-Christmas activity is beginning to stir up, we too might remember that the peasant and pleasant, never-crying infant soon to be “born” has always ruled the universe, through the will of our hearts. Yet he shrunk from being proclaimed King and created followers by self-giving, in contrast to dictators who rule by making themselves into gods. 

As such, what prevents a leader from a dictator is the willingness to, “feed my sheep… [and go] where you do not want to go” (Jn 21:18). When I worked as a school chaplain, I chafed against the teaching that was constantly presented to the girls: “everyone is a leader; but we all lead in different ways, and some even do so by following”. It sounds absurd, especially in the world where ethics is no longer rooted in religion. Yet, it makes perfect sense in light of the paradox of faith: “the Lamb will be their shepherd” (Rv 7:17). We are forgetting this, as we forget how the world was when most countries were still “kingdoms” and had kings, some clearly evil. Well, the latter is still true. We say that power corrupts; but I think that any impulses we already have become freely expressed as we achieve more control, face less accountability, and forget that self-sacrifice is the antidote to temptation. There aren’t any evil traits. Self-determination, autonomy, critical thinking, and desire to make an impact are positive, but each expressed in extreme becomes sin. Made in God’s Image – the ruler and judge – we are all at risk of becoming controlling and judgmental. 

For example, notice even how reading Jesus’ bluntest parables, always right prior to Advent, stirs up our judgy side. We don’t want to be like the unprepared bridesmaids who heard, “I don’t know you”, any more than the cautious servant who heard “from those who have nothing, what they have will be taken away”. The role of a sheep doesn’t appeal to us, made in the Image of the King; but if the alternative is to be among the goats who “depart into the eternal fire”, then we must find other people to populate hell in order to avoid going there ourselves. That’s how dictators rule – by juxtaposing “us” and “them, who are less human”. I wonder if Jesus tells these parables to test how readily we would judge “others” to be the goats.  

But Ezikiel wrote, “I will judge between sheep and sheep”. And upon visiting the Royal Winter Fair, I noticed that a shorn sheep looks just like a goat. Yes, sheep graze and are led into greener pastures, while goats forage and fend for themselves; but neither behaviour in itself is good or bad. For example, overgrazing the same spot creates a barren patch of dirt, and wandering too far from home in pursuit of more tasty morsels may cause us to lose the way home. Where are you today? Stuck in a situation that used to be fruitful and is now empty, confusing or painful? Consider asking for help. If all is well, you’ve got enough oil to light your own way, consider venturing out to help some of “the least”. But let us not judge. Underneath our varying personalities lies the same human soul, heart, and mind. Jesus was not trying to scare people into following him, as in eternity, there will be no sheep or goats, no weeping and gnashing of teeth – only the communion of saints reconciled with God and others. But, he does stir up our wills to act when and where we can, here and now. The pudding only gets better as it “ages”, yet the batter needs stirring well ahead of time; so it is never too early or too late to make a real impact on this world full of need. Amen.

Discussion

1. Have you ever heard that “bridegroom’s knock on the door” with which God, from time to time, re-invites us to a renewed life? What was its “sound”: a particularly rough patch on the path of life, a near miss in a dangerous situation, potentially terminal diagnosis, the “dark night of the soul” characterized by the lack of clarity, difficulty making decisions, perceived absence of God… or conversely, an experience of exceptional generosity or kindness extended to you? Where did you find “the oil” to fuel your faith – the energy to carry on and emerge on the other side (or maybe you’re still there). What was the fruit of this experience, how likely are you to carry these learnings forward, and might you wish that life could just go back to the way it was before?

2. Have you noticed that leadership in our society has become a buzzword to the point of becoming ambiguous. It is often presented as a goal, skill, and personality trait to acquire almost for its own sake. The children are taught that “everyone can (should!!) be a leader, but we all lead in different ways, and some even do so by following”. Is this true? How do we, as Christians, understand the great paradox of the Reign of Christ: that leadership and its presumed antitheses — service, self-giving, humility, following, and obedience — are one?

3. According to the synoptic gospels, Jesus never publicly claimed to be the King of anything — World/Creation or Israel — until his trial and death. His own people couldn’t conceptualize their Messiah and King as the Suffering Servant (cf. Isaiah 53), and said “Crucify him! … We have no king but Caesar.” It was the non-Jews who first proclaimed him as such: the Magi, Pilate, and the Roman soldiers (albeit in jest). Do you find this significant? Also, do you think that it was out of humility, theological understanding, or perceived danger that Jesus avoided referring to himself as the Son of Man, let alone King (though maybe he did so secretly, when teaching the disciples)? The innocuous question of the Magi, “Where is he that is born King of the Jews?”, had already put him in grave danger as a child, resulting in his family’s flight into Egypt and the massacre of innocent babies. What do you think guided the development of his self-identity over the rest of his life?