I don’t often start of blogs this way, but today I can’t resist.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
That’s 1 Peter 2:9. We memorized this verse at NLSW. We talked about it extensively. We took it to heart.
But something vital to our existence as the church has been lost in my own translation. As a “minister,” it’s easy to latch on to this verse. Of course I’m a chosen people, a royal priesthood. I’m a worship leader youth pastor senior pastor missionary priest. This verse is about me because I possess a title of some sort.
Silly rabbit.
Who did Peter write this verse to? Do I suppose it was addressed “to elders/deacons/leaders only?“
No, I do not suppose that. Peter wrote this to the church.
As in you, me, the drummer, the guy in the front row and that lady in the way back of the balcony that covers her ears during worship.
We are the church.
You see, as a worship leader I very often present myself as the head of a pyramid. The crowning point from which the holy spirit flows downward to the bottom rungs, the “congregation.”
But if Peter is to be taken seriously, this puts me in a serious predicament.
Because 1 Peter 2:9 levels the playing field.
Now, I’m not saying that we don’t need leaders. Just the opposite, really. We need deacons and elders and pastors to guide us, counsel us, lead us.
But 1 Peter 2:9 makes us the priesthood. You, me, earmuffs lady. Really, the Kingdom operates via an upside-down pyramid. The “congregation” is truly the priesthood, and we “leaders” are at the bottom as it were, laying a foundation and reflecting upward.
This may sound challenging, difficult. But it is a weight off of my shoulders.
Because if just I’m the chosen, royal priesthood, then it’s up to me to carry the “congregation” on my shoulders and drag them into the Kingdom.
But Jesus came, died, rose again, and set in motion the establishment of His church, His bride. His priesthood.
Us.
All of us. So it’s not up to me to try and carry the anointing by myself.
Because we can together, as one priesthood, carry the ark as in the days of old.
We are the carriers of God’s presence. We are the chosen people.
We are a royal priesthood.
