Earlier in the week, a friend of mine from the church across the street and with whom I serve on several boards, sent me an email that we churches should put on our doors, “Christ is the only king.” Now, to be fair, she had sent an earlier email that suggested maybe we would put a sign up that says, “G-d is the only king.” (Note to self, always read emails from earliest to newest!) “See,” she said, “I even remembered to spell G-d the way you do.”  

We did not put that sign up. We are a political free zone. And that will be something that will be discussed at greater length and the board of directors level. I cannot for instance, and won’t tell you who to vote for. However, I can teach Jewish values, ethics and texts. 

So this is the sermon I didn’t give, that I wrote in my head in the middle of the night.  

Many of you are familiar with the reading from Deuteronomy that says “Sh’ma Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad. Hear O Israel. The Lord our G-d, The Lord is One.” We say that it is the watchword of our faith. G-d is One, Alone, Unique. There is only ONE G-d. But the next line, in our siddur it is in smaller print says Baruch Shem Kavod Malchuto L’olam Va’ed. Blessed is the name of G-d’s glorious kingdom forever and ever.”  

Most of the time we say it in an undertone, a whisper, except on Yom Kippur. The Reform Movement always says it out loud, proudly. Why a whisper? If you google for it, you might get an answer like “it’s not found in Torah. It was said by the angels.” Or the 12 sons of Jacob said it after they said the Sh’ma. What I learned, is that at some point it was outlawed by some group in power because it challenged the sovereignty of whomever was in power. So, for millennium we Jews said it quietly or not at all. The Reform Movement made a decision, a conscious choice to say it again, because while G-d is Ruler, King, we were safe enough. It is a true freedom of speech moment.  

Yet, the Israelites wanted a king. They wanted to be like other peoples. It is hard to have a ruler who you can’t see. So in the book of Samuel, they demand a king. They wanted a king who would judge them, go before them in battle and fight their battles (I Samuel 8:20). G-d allowed them to have the king of their desires, but not without a warning. That king would be selfish, oppressive, ruthless. The earthly king would conscript men for military service, impose heavy taxes, seize people’s property for his own use. Eventually the people would call out to G-d for relief.  

We recently finished celebrating the High Holy Days. One of the themes of Rosh Hashanah is that it is the “coronation of the King.” That’s why the High Holy Day that runs throughout the 10 days is a march, like you are coronated the ruler. It’s a parade, we teach the kids. One of the signature, evocative  prayers is “Avinu Malkeinu. Our Father our King.” and even today other more gender translations such as, “Our Father our King, Our Mother our Queen” or Our Parent, Our Ruler” don’t quite work for me.  

All of our blessings begin, “Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech Ha’olam. Now every translation is a commentary. The plain, simple translation is Blessed are You Lord, our G-d, King of the Universe. There we are with King again. Ruler works here for me for Melech.  

In Hebrew nouns are built from verbs. In the Torah service we have the lines just before we take the Torah out of the ark: “Malchutecha, malchut kol olamim, umemshalte’cha b’chol dor v’dor.” And then, “Adonai melech. Adonai malach. Adonai yimloch l’olam v’ed.” Your sovereingty is everlasting. Your dominion, your ruling endures throughout all time. G-d rules. G-d ruled. G-d will rule forever and ever.” Let’s repeat that, “G-d rules. G-d ruled. G-d will rule forever and ever.  

The texts are clear. G-d is the Sovereign, the Ruler, the King for all time.