“Straighten Your Crown.”
We are a royal people, and this is our refrain. We are exploring this theme as we prepare for and reflect on the Solemnity of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.
On Christ the King Sunday, we celebrate who Jesus is as our King and we proclaim what Jesus has done and is doing in his Kingdom.
You may recall Angela Green’s blog: “Sister, Straighten Your Crown.” She reminded us (sisters and brothers!), in our insecurities, to Whom we belong and the dignity we have as part of his Kingdom. Because of Jesus, we are no longer slaves. We are his friends.
And that makes us royalty.
We have been called to a higher place than we deserve—a crown we could never earn for ourselves. This place of privilege is one that should inform how we understand ourselves—our identity and our responsibility.
The very word responsibility, from its Latin origins, means “offer in return.” My truest identity is revealed in who the Lord says I am. The King’s call on my life requires an answer, an offer in return.
“How shall I make a return to the Lord for all His goodness to me?”
The Psalmist says, “I will lift the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.” So, as I lift the chalice, I come face to face with Mercy and respond in humility to the Giver.
Then, the Psalmist continues: “I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all His people.” The goodness I receive should never stop with me. I must vow to take action in my response and communicate the lavishness of God’s grace to those around me.
I am not just royalty, I am part of a royal family.
We are all both precious and prodigal in God’s sight. When the Lord places crowns on our heads, He also knows all the ways we will let them slip.
He places them there anyway.
And He gives us the grace to straighten them through self-examination and repentance. He also gives us a community of other crown-bearers who, in love, hold mirrors and offer a hand or word of encouragement when our crowns get too tilted.
In this series—in our blogs and podcasts–our myriad of Contributors share with us their stories of straightening crowns and answering the call of the King.
Love, Fran and Tracy
