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This Mythic Round Table At the battle of the Pelennor Fields in The Return of the King, Theoden has answered the call of Gondor and has led the ride of the Rohirrim. He has fallen, but Eomer, the next king of Rohan, has taken up his standard. Prince Imrahil has led the Knights of Dol Amroth out of Gondor and onto the field, and now has come "Aragorn, son of Arathorn, Elessar, Isildur's heir, out of the Paths of the Dead." East rode the knights of Dol Amroth driving the enemy before them: troll-men and Variags and orcs that hated the sunlight. South strode Eomer and men fled before his face, and they were caught between the hammer and the anvil. For now men leaped from the ships to the quays of the Harlond and swept north like a storm. There came Legolas, and Gimli wielding his axe, and Halbarad with the standard, and Elladan and Elrohir with stars on their brow and the dour-handed Dunedain, Rangers of the North, leading a great valour of the folk of Lebennin and Lamedon and the fiefs of the South. But before all went Aragorn with the Flame of the West, Anduril like a new fire kindled, Narsil re-forged as deadly as of old; and upon his brow was the Star of Elendil. In Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, the leaders of men and kingdoms are engaged in the battle against evil. Sometimes a mighty man will act alone, as Aragorn the ranger has been doing when we first meet him. Sometimes a man will lead a band or an army, as Faramir does. Sometimes leaders will battle together, as Aragorn and Theoden in the battle of Helms Deep, where they are also joined by Gandalf. But there comes a time in the war when forces must be joined against a common enemy. And so multiple kingdoms and leaders of men engaged together in the same battle. They did not simply join forces and fight all together under one standard. The riders still fought as riders, the knights as knights, and the rangers as rangers. But they did fight together to overcome an enemy that none could have vanquished alone. Many things had to come together for this moment to happen: the beacons were lit, riders were sent out from Gondor towards Rohan, the riders themselves had to be mustered, Aragorn had to take his place as heir to the throne and rally the Army of the Dead as well as the men of the south around him. And so it is with the Kingdom of God to. The Gospel must go out. Organization and orchestration must take place. An effort this great does not "just happen." After all, are not the armies of darkness joined together and deliberate in their effort? In our Story, things have been coming together for this moment. The beacons have been lit, riders have been sent out, people have taken their place, The Trinity has been deliberate in Their effort, and hungry hearts are responding. God is bringing together people who hear His voice, who intimately know His heart, and who have experienced the freedom and restoration that His offer brings. These allies--from the North and South--are showing up to take their places in The Story. Peoples hearts are being awakened and they are rising up to walk in love and engage with other allies. And so we come to our King's Mythical Table to take our place--seated in the heavenlies with Christ Jesus. The Greatest Warrior of all sits among us--as one of us--with Freedom at the center of His Table. The Trinity is raising up intimate allies, seating the leaders of those armies with Him at His metaphoric Table. He is inviting each of us to take our seat next to Him, to rule and reign with Him as equals. At His Table, He reveals battle plans and engages with us to discover each warrior's crucial role in The Story. Seated around the Table are other Warriors and Knights, Ladies and Gents, Priests and Prophets, Kings and Queens, Peasants and Scribes who have fought beside The Trinity from ages past to present. Around the fire of Freedom, we convene to fight--men, women, knights and queens--all coming to the Table representing our kingdoms and domains, bringing with us the weight of our own life and the power of God living in our heart, bound together by our deep love for the Trinity. The force drawing all these wheels together is this organic and Mythical Table. Together we will re-claim territory stollen by the Religious Spirit. With our hearts restored we will rise and live with new hearts, given to us by Love, for Love, to love. We will go to War under the Trinity's standard. We will storm the gates of Hell--wearing the armor of God. The Table will keep the flame of the Story lit for travelers to light their candle by and as His witnesses our lives will tell of the glorious freedom the true Gospel offers. Too long we have been decieved. Too long we have been divided. Too long we have stood alone. Too long we have tried to do it all on our own. We will rise up together--for God's Kingdom is here--alive in our hearts. We will remind the world of the Larger Story, we will tell them about the heart of our Good God--and we will be unstoppable. ← Exit |