The Sunday after Ascension, being the Seventh and Last Sunday of Easter

  Antiphon on the Magnificat

Alleluia! 

For 

the 

Lord

God 

Almighty 

reigns….

I didn’t get a clear, unequivocal mediation verse this morning, not one that jumped out and said IT’S ME, IT’S ME!  Maybe because I was distracted. Or maybe God wanted some extra time. Because of the Rock n Roll Marathon I didn’t take my Dad to Good Sam this morning and St David’s doesn’t start until 10:30, so I had a leisurely morning. Whichever, whatever I wrestled  with a verse. I  started with Jesus reigning.

But all these phrases were in my head… "but not like the gentiles who lord it over them…."
 "a bruised reed he will not break and a smoldering wick he will not quench.” The brand newly “published" The Gospel at St David’s, had arrived in my in box and I had quickly perused it.   And so I was thinking about a new rector and the appeal to tell the Vestry if you had a question that you needed asked of a potential candidate. I was thinking of a leader would lead like Jesus did, who walks with, “a companion on the way.” 

And that added to the mix of my wondering:  How could I show Jesus as KING but not a stern King.

(Not that he’s not STERN when he needs to be. Never doubt that!) but it’s not an image I wanted, with all his ENEMIES cringing before him, with the KING bashing his way through subject, despised people…. All US and THEM….  Much too much Old Testament and not enough NEW. 

Then I remembered pictures I had seen of St Gregory of Nyssa in San Francisco. I cropped a picture so it was just Jesus reigning

I chose the ont and the colors and VOILA I was done. But I wasn’t…… Jesus surely reigns but alone? In solitary splendor? I think not. But never alone, but with his people.  (Not to mention the Trinity dancing from all eternity) And thus we have the image above…..