The Priesthood of All Believers
In the Missional Leadership Initiative Retreats the first group activity is to receive a devotional from Reggie McNeal. The second is what he calls "Fast-Fire Updates" in which all MLIers update the community on how the journey toward missionality is going in his/her setting.
Two retreats ago, in my update I noted that in our ministry everyone is understood to be a priest in the world and that there are only two priestly activities that I still carried out exclusively: Weddings and funerals.
Amend that.
Now, there is only one priestly activity that I carry out exclusively: Weddings. One of our guys just performed his father's funeral and, from what I hear, did it with a wisdom and compassion that could match that of any priest with a M. Div. from the best of seminaries.
In Revelation 1:6 John says of Jesus that He has made us "to be a kingdom and priests." How much has been lost in recent generations in the CGGC because we've allowed ourselves to be taught that to function as a priest one must be a member of the clergy?
More than we'll ever know on this side of His return.
posted by bill Sloat at 8:18 AM
1 Comments:
I guess that the legalities of weddings are what sort of gets in the way there.
You could actually have someone else 'officiate a lot of a wedding probably, so long as you had enough of a part to sign off of the license.
I've known of a few different people 'doing' funerals for family members who are not 'pastors'
I've never found myself holding someone back from doing something because they are not ordained.
Most people (even pastors sometimes!) aren't lining up do do funerals.
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