West Main

In our past two sermons from the book of Hebrews, we have learned how we are priestly princes and princesses of the order of Melchizedek. Additionally, we are typically familiar with the words of 1 Peter where the apostle says, “we are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet 2:5; Cf., 1 Pet 2:9). In the past, I usually only heard our roles as priests being discussed as an argument against the notion that priests are only to be found among the Catholic clergy. However, the Priesthood of all believers is a mantra coming from our protestant roots in the Reformation against there being just a special class of priests separate and apart from the laity—the people of God.

God’s intention for His people was never for them to be divided into two classes of clergy and laity. As we have seen from Exodus, God’s intention was for all his people to serve as priests: “You shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exo 19:5-6). God’s intention is fully realized in Revelation when we read how, “by [Christ’s] blood [he] ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and . . . made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” We are to be reigning priests on earth!

Why then, if our roles as reigning priests are so central and pivotal an objective to our walk with God, do we seem to hear so little about our priestly function and responsibility in the church today? One reason is we might have a tendency to just think of priests as an Old Testament concept that no longer applies. Priests served in the Old Testament offering up sacrifices and other cultic practices at the temple in Jerusalem. We no longer worship at a physical temple or offer up animal sacrifices, therefore a priestly role seems foreign and no longer relevant. Secondly, despite our contentions against only Catholic clergy serving as priests, the Catholic cultural and social influences seem to still effect general impressions that only Catholic clergy serve as priests. Lastly, the combination of Old Testament and Catholic influences give the impression that priests should be dressed in the garb of religious clergy. In other words, priests should wear Levitical robes like the priests in the OT or a black shirt with a white collar like Catholic priests.

There is a strange paradox of sorts when it comes to living the Christian life as the priesthood of all believers. As Christians, so much of what the OT describes as the role of priests in a physical way is now accomplished in a spiritual way by faith. For instance, we saw above how Peter speaks not of building a physical temple, but how we are “being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet 2:5). The temple of God is no longer a building located in Jerusalem, but the temple of God is now the body of believers, the Church of Jesus Christ. So we are physical beings living out our spiritual priesthood in physical bodies! Between the physical and the spiritual rests the fulcrum of faith. By faith, we make concrete what is spiritual. By faith, we transform this world into God’s kingdom. By faith we are the temple of God, reigning as God’s Priests. In short, we are Priests by faith.

-- Terry

Camp -- As of today, Southern Oregon Christian Camp is officially full. Actually...we are over-booked. So...if you are still registering, I encourage you to send in a form, and we will place you on a waiting list. We are working every possible angle to see what we can figure out. If we can get you in, we surely will!!!! We want you there. Thanks for your understanding.    Pannell

Vacation Bible School  is just six weeks away! How can you help make it be successful? What do we need? Your kids to attend, teachers, food, prizes, and lots more! Please contact Denise Beeks to volunteer to help.

***VBS DATES: June 19-22 – Ages: Finished Kindergarten-6th Grade. Time: 9:00-11:30 a.m.

Our Last Ladies Class will be May 29 until we start again in the Fall. On May 29, it will be a potluck luncheon only beginning at 11:00 a.m. Please bring lots of your favorite potluck foods to share.

Transportation Needed  -- We need some volunteers to be on-call to help transport our seniors and members to appointments, for errands, doctor visits, etc., for any day of the week. Please contact the church office if you can volunteer.

Coffee Servers are needed for June. Please sign up on the list posted in the hallway by the stairs. Thank you for your help.

Thank You  -- We would like to say “thank you” for the wonderful send off you gave us last Sunday evening. It was so very heartwarming to receive the elders’ prayers and to share great memories and laughter with everyone. We will miss you all very much and want to say how blessed we have been to have all of you in our lives. You will be forever in our hearts.

Love, Terry and Debra Burchett

Moving  -- Larry and Lynn Albright will be moving to Dayton, Oregon, about the 4^th of June. We want to honor them with a going away party on June 3^rd after evening services. Please bring lots of your favorite fingerfoods to share for the fellowship time. Also, Larry and Lynn will be celebrating their 45^th Wedding Anniversary that night.

Calendar of Events 

May 19: Camp Fundraiser Dinner; 6:00 p.m.; FSR

June 19-22: VBS

July 4: Picnic at Don Jones Park in Central Point

July 8-14: CAMP

July 28-August 3: PUMP