by Pastor Kent
My video devotional for this week is from 1 Peter 2:9-10a and speaks about our identity as Christians and our mission in the world. I present two different views of the church’s ministry – one where the people see themselves in a supporting role and encourage and cheer on the church staff and its ordained leaders while staying relatively inactive themselves. The other view is that as members of God’s people we are all called to some form of ministry – including the “priestly ministry” of mediating the love and knowledge of God in Christ to others. I spend a bit of time defining a priest’s job and speaking about the post-biblical division of God’s people into two groups – clergy and laity. While the Greek word “laos” or people is thoroughly biblical, the word “clergy” never appears in the NT as it came to be understood by the third century and still exists today. So my basic premise is to argue for “every member ministry” and to have our people see themselves both as vital members of “God’s own people” and commissioned to be “a royal priesthood” in the church and world.