The Sunday Sermon: August 21, 2022 – 11th Sunday after Pentecost
Scripture: 1 Peter 2:1-5, 9
Be a Priest
We have two more weeks before Labor Day weekend and the “calendar end of summer.” I’ll be in California at my older brother’s wedding and Gary Torrens will return to this pulpit for the first time in about 17 years. (And under very different circumstances, I note.) We have all of that to look forward to, but first we look forward to the next two Sundays of August, the last two Sunday of August. I’m going to preach and teach a bit more about what it means to be a disciple of Christ as a member of the Presbyterian Church (USA). It has struck me that this is important as we continue to figure out who we are as a community since the dual pandemics of COVID and the political/racial unrest of 2020 and the fatigue of the last two years. So, let’s continue in prayer.
Pray with me …
We are pretty well versed in much of what discipleship entails, right? Well versed, any yet never quite able to totally get our heads around it. Some of that is our own stubbornness – or unwillingness … and some of that is the irascible, elusive nature of believing in something like “GOD” and following someone like Jesus and listening to something like our Bible. We’re always being asked to consider new interpretations, to engage different people, and to live in more loving ways. There is newness every morning. It seems to me, if we think we ever master discipleship, it’s not true discipleship, because Love is a verb that keeps acting, not a noun we can box up and box in. So, we may never master our discipleship, we don’t stop trying, or more appropriately put, we don’t stop following.
There is a cost to our discipleship, we know that. We read about that in our Gospels. We will be dragged before governors and kings because of (our faith)10:18 ; We will be hated by all because of (our faith), says Matthew 10:22 . We cannot be disciples without giving up our possessions, says Luke 14:33. I’m not sure too many of us really pay the heavy costs the Gospels lay out for us, not when it means putting ourselves at real risk, financially, personally, or as a congregation trying to survive. That’s a real problem, actually. If we’re not willing to die, we’ll never fully live. Fortunately for us, that’s a sermon for another day. Let it be enough for this morning to remember that there is a cost to our discipleship.
And there is joy in our discipleship.
One of my strongest memories from church as a child, growing up in the United Church of Christ, the UCC, was reading, later reciting from memory, our Statement of Faith that included this line: (Jesus) calls us into his church to accept the cost and joy of discipleship …I learned early there is a cost, but I also learned early there’s a joy in this life with Christ. These next two weeks, we’ll look at a bit of both – the cost and the joy – in our discipleship as Priests and Prophets. We are called here together to be a comfort and a challenge to one another, to confirm and to contradict our life choices. To be both … priest and prophet. On this first of the next two Sundays, let’s look at how we may be priests.
Listen for the Word of God … Read 1 Peter 2:1-5, 9 The Word of the Lord … Thanks be to God …
These verses in the first letter of Peter are the foundation for the Protestant Church, the Reformed Tradition, and so the Presbyterian understanding and articulation of the “priesthood of all believers.” Beginning with Martin Luther’s teaching that all baptized Christians are spiritual beings in the sight of God (not just an ordained “class”) and continuing through all the Reformation doctrines thereafter, the essential belief that God is equally accessible to all the faithful, all disciples, and that every Christian has equal potential, and responsibility, to minister for God has marked the life of every Protestant Christian. We all have work to do every day of our lives because of who we say we are: Disciples. We have “priestly roles” to engage and enact.
That’s where we’ll spend our time this morning. Our “priestly roles” as disciples of Christ. I want you to take out the long insert in your bulletin and put that on your lap. This is not an exhaustive list of our priestly roles, I dare say, but it is pretty close. This list comes directly out of our denomination’s “Book of Order,” part II of the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA) – G-1.0304, for those even more deeply “in the know!” (If you don’t know what that reference means, ask one of your Ruling Elders, they have this book memorized.)
I’ve given you the whole list, but we’re just going to look, very briefly, at the first five and the last two. (Teaser: Next week we’ll be engaging our “Prophetic roles” as disciples and we’ll look at six to ten.) The first five and final two responsibilities are as good a place as any to engage and better understand our discipleship in terms of the priestly roles we are called to engage. Let’s look at them.
And I love this every time I share it. The very first “priestly role” … anyone? Yea … Preach! Proclaim the Good News! It’s going to be helpful, of course, to know what that “good news,” is. And there are many different responses to that question, depending on a denomination’s, or an individual’s, theological viewpoint. What I teach and preach in my ministry, here and in my life, is that the Good News of Jesus Christ is that “the Kin-dom of God is here,” among us, within us. Here, now, waiting to be more fully revealed. What made Jesus unique among the apocalyptic prophets of the first century was that he proclaimed God’s Kingdom here, not near; realized, not imminent, present already. Not fully present or fully realized, and that’s why, according to our tradition the Spirit of God was sent us to continue the revelation. So “proclaim the Good News” – top of the list. Use words if really necessary, right?
Second: “Take part in the common life and worship of the church,” specifically Pewee Valley Presbyterian Church. That’s a priestly role we must play. Take part, be a part of the life and worship of Pewee Valley Presbyterian. Congratulations … you’re doing that this morning.
Third: “Lift one another up in prayer, mutual concern, and active support.” Okay, show of hands … how many of you “actively” do any of those things, let alone all three, with any regularity? Actually, I’ll let you off the hook … no hands needed (though I know there would be a few). We have our special pray-ers and carers, but it is the “duty” of every Christian to lift one another up in prayer, mutual concern, and active support. Not just me as your Pastor or a few prayer warriors.
Number four, “Studying scripture and the issues of Christina faith and life.” With fewer exceptions than any of us would like to admit, the average church member has stopped doing these two things on their own, if they were ever doing them to begin with. We may read scripture regularly, but we don’t study it much outside of Sunday morning. And I’ll bet even fewer of us actually study the “faith of the Christian Church” on your own. We do that here and leave it to the “professional priests.” But there it is. Another priestly role for us all … too often left undone by all but a handful.
Five: “Supporting the work of the church through the giving of money, time and talents.” That’s a cost that everyone here has “paid.” I guarantee it. If only because you are here this morning. But every one of you has given and continues to give, much more. In addition to our annual Operating budget, funded primarily through the pledges offered each fall and given throughout the year, every one gives something. Beyond that, there are special offerings. The very reason we’re here in this sanctuary this morning is because all of you have been good stewards to this building, our property and the ministries and missions we engage. I’ll leave the amounts of your time, talent, and tithes for you to be comforted or challenged by. But this “priestly role” is encouraged and enacted here.
Now … Jumping down to number 11, “Participating in the governing responsibilities of the church.” Again, I suggest, a role that is played well in this community. Let me ask another question and this time wait for that show of hands: How many of you have served as an Elder, on Session, in this congregation or another? Show of hands … (Our Nominating Committee should be taking quick notes!) …I thought so. Most of you. According to our Book of Order, Elders may serve two consecutive three-year terms before having to rotate off the Session for at least a year. The practice since I’ve been here has been to limit the term to one three-year term. There are several reasons for this, of course, but what even makes this possible is knowing that so many of you are not only more than able, but willing to serve in the governing responsibilities of our church.
There are other ways we participate in the governing responsibilities, of course: Every Ministry Team includes many more of you than are Elders. Ad Hoc groups and Session appointed positions allow others to live into their membership vows and their discipleship, as well.
And finally for this morning, this Sunday: “Reviewing and evaluating regularly the integrity of one’s membership, and considering ways in which one’s participation in the worship and service of the church may be increased and made more meaningful.” This is a relatively new addition in our Book of Order. Let me read it again … Your church staff – me, Ashia, Richard, Matt, Shelly – and your Session Elders spend a lot of time trying to provide tried and true opportunities and trying to imagine new ways for all of you, all of us, to “increase your participation in the worship and service of the church … to make it more meaningful.” We’re constantly trying to figure out what will motivate all of you to come here – on Sunday morning and beyond – and to get in involved in the ministry and mission that is a part of our church life – again, on Sunday morning and beyond . When one particular attempt no longer yields the fruit it used to, or burns more people out than it energizes, we change it, or stop doing it, and try to replace it. We lament what used to be, but must believe that what “is” is more important and needs our attention. There are more people seeking to provide these opportunities beyond just the church staff and session, many of you in other ways. But all of us should be “reviewing and evaluating regularly the integrity of our membership … considering ways in which our participation in the worship and service of Pewee Valley Presbyterian may be increased and made more meaningful.
So … that’s a start. Seven ways to “Be a Priest” in your life as a disciple. It’s not an exhaustive list and we haven’t exhausted our understanding, explanation, or exploration of those few either. I hope you do more of that for yourselves in the week and weeks ahead. Take this insert home with you and discern for yourself where you are “living into” your priestly roles in the Body of Christ and where you need to invest more deeply. I believe that for a community our size (which is not small, by the way, compared to so many other tiny, tiny, congregations), for a community our size we engage our priestly roles fairly well. But there’s always more to be done. Think about that this week.
Next week, we’ll look at the prophetic roles we are called to engage as Christians, and Presbyterians, and we’ll continue challenging ourselves to live deeper and more meaningful lives in Christ as we, in the words of Peter “proclaim the mighty acts of Jesus who called us out of darkness into God’s marvelous light.”
Amen … for now.
Reverend Joel Weible, Pastor
Pewee Valley Presbyterian Church / August 21, 2022