I have been spending some time thinking where to begin. There is something awesome and terrifying about beginning. It makes a declaration; it puts you 'out there'; it is exposing and fragile.
In the end I decided to begin with a few words- after all that is how everything began we believe; it is how everything begins and remains. A few powerful words, 'Let there be...'. I wonder how exposing, and terrifying that moment was.
Anyway here we are blogdom, the blogosphere. I aim to write from time to time, some things thoughtful, some silly, some persoanl, some detached, some very mundane. It's a kind of getting to know each other place; a thinking place; and I hope a praising place.
A couple of things I am doing today. This evening I am speaking at a prize day for a secondary school. It's been quite a striuggle thinking of something to say. I have been through all the inspiration stuff and then came to a point when I realised that most of that was about making the most of yourself. We live in days when I am not sure whether that challenge is enough. To misquote an American, maybe we should not be asking what the world can do for us, but asking what we can do for the world, or to refer to a middle eastern, we should be concerned not only with loving ourselves but loving our neighbour, loving others as we love ourselves. Someone pointed me to the video below the other day. I think that is what I mean.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5JxULAX9P4&feature=related
The other thing is I am preparing for Sunday morning. I am thinking about being priests and then realised I did not know entirely what the word means. Tell me what do you undertsand by the word 'priest'?
Talk soon...
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That's an interesting question. I think it has something to do with someone who can facilitate one's worship of God.
ReplyDeletePriest = Representative - One who represents "the people" before God but probably more importantly since the New Covenant, one who represents God to the people. There is also a worship angel here as other comment noted. Priest are very much associated with worship BUT there is a an almost equivilence between "service" and "worship" (I'm no Greek speaker but I have read the word which is often translated as worship (gives us the root of word liturgy if I remember correctly) can also be translated as service.. We have Church "Service" ="Worship". In fact, the worship God desires IS the service of others - especially if you look to OT models, service of the poor, the widow, the orphan. So I'd say "Priest = person who represents God by service to those in need"
ReplyDeleteSorry - that should have said "worship angle" not "worship angel" but who knows... ;-)
ReplyDeleteThe definition of the name or title 'priest', is dependant upon the context within which is being used.
ReplyDeleteGenerally it refers to someone who is qualified or has authority to precide over religious rights and procedures.
An 'elder' or similar could be looked upon as a priest.
I think that in modern day parlence, the priest title has become 'commonised' and covers a wide range of descriptions and roles.
Whom ever is a 'priest' should at the very least inspire humility and respect for and by others, and be a light or beacon for others to follow and be inspired by.
Knowledge without Wisdom is just knowledge! but Knowledge with Wisdom is a tough act to follow!
I'm realising how much of the OT is fulfilled in Christ - so where priest does mean representative, we can't understand it without seeing how Christ fulfils the priestly 'go between' role for us. I heard the other day someone say 'God detests half-hearted worship', but I couldn't help thinking we'd all be in massive trouble if that was still the case. Fortuneatly, the Father recieves all our worship via our 'priest', our go-between saviour who perfects every offering. And that should be our motivation to worship with more of ourselves, not an excuse for lazy worship.
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