Christ Lutheran Church: Welcome

YOU Are the Priest - June 15, 2008

YOU Are the Priest

Exodus 19: 2-8  Matthew 9:35-38

June 15, 2008

Rev. Dave R. Garwick

You know, every good thing also has its down sides.  In our brand of church, for example, we have pastors wear white robes called albs, with colorful stoles and special crosses.  Each one of these things is there for a reason - probably several reasons.  That way the pastor's clothing does not become an issue.  The alb is white to signify the cleansing of Jesus' sacrifice.  Plus it adds dignity to what the pastor is supposed to be doing.

And that is also part of the reason for pulpits - to "elevate" the Word of God which is supposed to be preached from here.

But like I said, every good thing also has it's downside.  Parents always think it's so cute when a toddler thinks that I am God.  That scares me.  Moses got nailed for that.  And it's not just toddlers who get the wrong message.  Grown-ups do too.  For too many people, the Word of God is something just the pastor does.  I stand above you all, I am the only one authorized to wear this stuff, and Communion isn't really Communion unless it comes from the pastor's hand.

As Protestants we do not believe that the pastor has special spiritual powers.  I have special training and experience to oversee the ministry of the congregation, no differently than an electrician has special training and experience with electrical things.

So when the pulpit and the alb confuse people, I think it is good to preach from the same level as everybody else.  And I even wonder if sometimes I should step out of the alb as well.  The Word of God should always be elevated - never the mortal who preaches it.  The Word of God is elevated because it IS the Word of God.  It is elevated by how it is preached and taught and lived - not because of who does it.

As Protestants we do not have priests who have special spiritual powers.  What we DO have is a priesthood of all believers.  That is not my idea.  In the Bible Focus, you saw where that idea came from - all the way back to what God himself told Moses, twelve hundred years before Jesus.  THAT is where the idea of a priesthood of all believers came from.

Different kinds of priests did it different ways, but what all priests do is somehow connect people to God.  All believers belong to a priesthood because all believers are in a position to connect people to God - which for us means bringing people to Jesus.

I want you to once again open up your green hymnals to the service of Baptism that we just did a few minutes ago.  I want you to look at the bottom of page 124 where I said these words right after baptizing little Lenore...she is now a member of the WHAT that we all share?  The priesthood.  THAT is how you get to be a member of the priesthood - by GOD choosing you in Holy Baptism.

I said a moment ago that the point of a priest is to connect people to God.  Well look a little further up the page to where I presented Lenore with a baptismal candle.  Do you see there what I told her?  "Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven."  You see, Baptism is HOW she became a priest.  Letting her light shine is WHAT she does as priest - so that others may see her good works and because of THAT to glorify her Father who is in heaven.  THAT is how this little priest will bring people to God.

Like I said a moment ago, as Protestants we do not have priests who have special spiritual powers.  What we DO have is a priesthood of all believers.  I want you to open your bulletins to the page which lists the staff and worship assistants.  Do you notice anything different?  Do you see the line that reads "Ministers:  the priesthood of all believers"?  THAT line is going to be a permanent feature.  Furthermore it is going to have the importance of being listed first.

I am the pastor, but you are the priesthood.  YOU are the ones who are in a better position to bring more people to God than I ever will be.  You are around more people than I am.  And the people YOU are around are not as likely to write off.  If I were in some kind or tournament and did a noble thing, people would simply dismiss it as something you should expect a pastor to do.  But if a TEENAGER sacrifices a state tournament by volunteering the truth, the world will sit up and take notice.  And if they know that this student was a faithful worshiping Christian, then there might be one or two people who might give Jesus another hearing.

When Jesus had compassion on the crowd because they were like sheep without a shepherd, HE was the Good Shepherd.  And yet the next thing HE did was to appoint twelve mortals to go among the sheep, to BE the priesthood of believers who brought the sheep to Jesus.

You don't have to apply for the job.  God has already called you.