Turning kingship upside down - Christ the King 2025

Описание: There is a famous icon simply known as Christ Pantocrator (Christ the ruler of all), which is still preserved in St. Catherine’s Monastery at Sinai. It is one of the oldest Byzantine religious icons, dating from the sixth century AD.
It has an almost troubling, certainly haunting beauty, and a spiritual challenge and depth that grows with each viewing.
For it carries a profound comparison within.
Concentrate long enough and the details emerge, the contrasts come into relief.
Two Christs emerge.
I have found it interesting to research the icon and to see how interpretations differ. Most commentators agree that it reveals, and was likely intended to depict, the dual nature of Christ, traits of both Jesus the man, and the Christ, the divine figure of the Christian faith, at the heart of the Trinity.
But there is some variance as to what people believe the two sides say. The image is so old we lack any comment, of course, from the actual icon writer, and so perhaps the icon serves as a sort of Rorschach test of how we see Jesus, how we see God, and how we see ourselves…….

Part of the Church of Ireland, St Nicholas Church, Adare and its fellow churches teaches and ministers within the progressive Christianity tradition, with influences from the scholars who built on the work of the Jesus Seminar. It seeks to be a church that is welcoming and inclusive, affirming and open in its liberal theology; and whilst we don’t claim to have all the answers, we are most certainly committed to ‘living the questions’. We have influences of Celtic spirituality in our worship and view of the natural world, living as we do in the beauty of County Limerick.
The Church of Ireland also forms part of the Anglican communion which is an association of Anglican churches from 38 provinces, including the Church of England, the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Church in Wales, the Episcopal Church in the USA (otherwise known as the Episcopalians) and churches across the globe. With 80 million members, it is the third largest Christian body in the world, after the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches.

Music: 'Childhood Home' - Birelli Snow - www.smallchurchmusic.com
Hymn: 'Rejoice the Lord is King' - www.epidemicsound.com