No Ordinary King

I caught up with a clergy friend who serves a United Methodist church which has a food pantry. The pastor said that right before she was to send around a list of items needed to restock their shelves (peanut butter, can goods, etc) a church member asked if she could included the list in her daughters' birthday invitation.
Would you believe that for this girl's party, she requested not to have any gifts?
The birthday girl instead wanted kids to replenish her churches churches food pantry.
It gives me a deep sense of awe when a child exhibits such a heart of giving.. I give thanks to God for children who can teach us simple truths.

A few weeks later, the mom and little girl showed up at the churches food pantry with 50 bags of groceries! 50 bags! A decision by one girl to use the opportunity of her own birthday party .. not as a chance to be lavished with gifts.. but instead to lavish the poor. She turned the notion of "birthday parties" upside down - seeing it not as a time to be blessed, but to be a blessing.

Today is Christ the King Sunday - A day when the notion of kingship is turned upside down. Our King Jesus (Matthew 25:31-46) tells us that to love him, we must love "the least."

In church today, some incredible musicians sang "How Many Kings" which really helped all of us understand how Christ is in the midst of the poor, the suffering, the sick, the imprisoned. For those of you who like to read the story behind the song and listen to online - visit the artist's blog at link.http://jeremythiessen.typepad.com/weblog/2007/12/new-christmas-s.html