We Are All Priests!
2010-05-12

It's been a strange week. Both Monday and Tuesday, I woke up at around 2:10 and couldn't go back to sleep. I know Monday, it was because I was dreading a meeting with Stephanie's Vice-Principal (it turned out okay) AND I was extremely excited about the job interview news. For those of you who read who are not on Facebook, I have a job interview on Friday morning at the UTA Library! I'm so excited about that!

Tuesday, Christi went to the doctor and then to work to get her work laptop. She was home, and I peeked out at around 2:10 to see how she was doing. She was ok, but still hurting. She told me Steph had gotten in trouble that morning. That got me worried and I couldn't really go back to sleep that day. Ugh.

So Monday, I had the after school meeting, then Tuesday, I went to the store to get some new clothes for my Friday interview (I basically have jeans and tees that I can wear, with two or three "polo" shirts). What did we call those kind of shirts before Polo brand came along? Anyway, that's why I haven't had a journal entry this week until today. So here we go...



Psalm 57:2-3, 5

2 I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. 3 He will send from heaven and save me; he will put to shame him who tramples on me. God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!

5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!

The Psalmist declares his belief, in verse 2, that God has a unique plan for him, and that plan will be fulfilled. Then he expands that idea to the exaltation of God over all the earth.

David is in "hot water" once again, when this Psalm is written. The example for us is that, no matter what kind of circumstances David finds himself in, he prays. It's like breathing. That's how natural prayer should be for us.

It's a good thing I don't breathe like I pray.
(Some commentary from A Musician Looks At the Psalms)



Today's reading in Tabletalk Magazine is excellent. It is drawn from 1 Peter 2:9-10. 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy

"Having sanctified and perfected us in His Father's sight forevermore through His offerings of Himself (Heb. 10:10-14), Christ Jesus has made all who are in Him the priesthood that God always intended His people to be. No longer need we rely on an intermediary who is a sinner like us; rather, the Lord has become the mediator between Himself and His own in the person of the God-man Jesus Christ.

"Peter explains in today's passage that we are that royal priesthood who need none but Christ to stand between us and the Father. Martin Luther pointed out in his Babylonian Captivity of the Church that 'all we who are Christians are priests,' and no believer has greater access to the Creator than any other. Pastors and elders are appointed to teach the church the will of God from His Word (1 Tim. 3:1-7), but they do not represent us before the heavenly throne like the Levitical priests did under the adminstration of the old covenant.

"In Christ, there is a true priesthood of all believers. All of us who trust in Jesus alone for salvation have free access into His presence, and all of our lawful vocations are set apart for true God-honoring service. The janitor who does his work to the Lord is in no worse position spiritually than the most gifted preacher on the planet, for all Christians have been declared righteous servants of the creator God."

This is something that I have been "championing" for years, now. We all have equal access to God. We need no human priests to intercede for us, because we have the ultimate High Priest doing that. And through him, Jesus Christ, we ALL have direct and equal access to God the Father. This idea that we have developed over time, that pastors and elders and other church "officials" have "special access" and are more important spiritually than the so-called "lay-people," is pure and utter twaddle. And I guarantee you that the pastor I work with would agree.



Father, I thank you that we all have equal access to you through Jesus Christ. I praise you that we no longer have to rely on sinful, human priests to perform rituals for us so that we may pray to you. The idea that there are still groups of "Christians" who rely on those types of rituals boggles me. They need to be set free by the truth that we are all priests because of the work of Christ. I pray that pastors, teachers, and elders everywhere would know this truth and cease asserting authority over people that they don't have. Father, there is no such thing as a "lay-person" in your kingdom. We are all priests! Let us live like priests. And let us avail ourselves of the freedom of access that we have by coming before your throne daily to plead our cases. Let us be faithful in intercession for each other as we enjoy this access that we have to your throne.

I am also grateful that you have a unique plan for each one of us. Sometimes, when we are trapped in the humdrum of daily living, that plan doesn't seem so unique. But I believe that you do have a plan for me that is for no one else! And I also believe that you will see that plan through to its completion. I praise you for that.

I ask for grace as I prepare for my interview on Friday. I pray that this job will come through for me.

I pray that Christi's knee will continue to feel better. Place your healing hand in her knees, please.

I also pray that Steph will continue to have good days at school, as well as in life.

I pray that Kathy's surgery went well and that she will recover quickly.



Remember your access to the Father. Be free of meaningless rituals, performed by people who are no more special than you, spiritually. And embrace God's unique plan for your life (even if you aren't quite sure what it is).

Grace and peace, friends.



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