A Chosen Race A Royal Priesthood
Sermon Text for January 6, 2008
I Peter 2:1-10
Her insides were churning so violently that she was almost ill. But on the outside she appeared to be the epitome of the calm professional. That was the only part of herself that she allowed others to see. They must never be allowed to know how small and insecure that she felt most of the time.
“Why do they call it ‘butterflies’? she wondered. Then a ridiculous thought crossed her mind and made her laugh. Instead of butterflies in the stomach, her’s felt more like two walruses doing mortal battle.
“I’m not worthy” she thought. “Why in the world did they elect me. They should have asked someone whose faith is strong.” Then she remembered that she had never allowed others to see her vulnerable side. They didn’t know that sometimes she felt like a twelve year old girl at her first middle school dance.
And then it happened! The pastor – who always seemed so sure of himself – called her name. For better or worse, she was about to be ordained and installed as a ruling elder. Her knees felt like jelly as she walked forward. With every step she took she held on to the back of the pews so she could steady herself. No one must know how fearful she was.
Isn’t it amazing how insecure many of us feel, when we are called upon to do more than simply sit in the pew on Sunday morning? Most of us know exactly how this woman felt because we have been there. We might express the feeling differently, but we know the abject fear we feel whenever someone says, “God needs you.”
The problem at its root is one of identity. I know that we think we are too old to have an identity crisis. Adolescent rebellion is all about discovering who we are, and if we ever think about it, we are grateful that our own adolescence is long past. We can guess that the woman in the story is also well beyond adolescence, but nevertheless she is having an identity crisis. She doesn’t know or chooses to ignore who God says she is. It is too bad. Knowing the answer to the identity question, might have calmed her fears.
If you were in church on the Sunday before Christmas, I offered you a Christmas present and this is what I said. “You are a very special person. You are God’s art work, carefully and lovingly made.” It is too bad that the woman in our story didn’t know that. It would have made her trip down the center aisle a lot less fearful.
The communities to which Peter wrote were having an identity crisis. By accepting Christ the new believers lost almost everything that told them who they were. Suddenly the comfort they once received in relationships with friends and relatives simply disintegrated. And without these relationships many lost even the ability to feed their families.
In those days most trade took place through gilds – the first century equivalent of a union. Those who belonged to a guild were required to vow allegiance to the guild’s god. And when the Christians refused they were expelled from the guild. Without the guild a large part of their identities simply evaporated.
If we listen between the lines of our scripture lesson we might hear an inner conversation that sounds something like this: “I used to belong to the gild and now I don’t. So who am I now? I used to be part of my father’s family but the family has rejected me. To them I am as good as dead. So who am I now? I used to be part of a social club, but I am no longer welcome. Who am I now?”
It was obvious to the new believers how much they lost, but what did they gain? Peter answered the question this way: “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people… Once you were no people, now you are God’s people.” God transforms believers so that no matter who we once were, now we are someone else. And by the grace of God we are still becoming. The most obvious difference between who we were and who we are, is that in Christ Jesus God CHOSE US. I Peter says that we are “a CHOSEN race”. We have been ordained by our baptism to join brothers and sisters in a “royal priesthood”. Those whom God chooses, God also equips for the work of ministry.
In a few minutes we will ordain and install elders and deacons. It is a safe bet that someone is terrified by the new role he or she will play. Someone’s little inner voice is screaming, “I am not worthy! How did I get talked into this?” If that is you listen very carefully. You are CHOSEN by God, a part of the chosen race.” God chose you, God has already ordained you and made you a part of a “royal priesthood a holy nation.” Those whom God calls God equips.
This message is for each of us. A few serve as elders or deacons, but each of us is CHOSEN and equipped for ministry. You don’t have to believe me, but you should believe God. “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.” Thanks be to God. Amen.
Copyright © 2008 by Dwight R. Blackstock
I Peter 2:1-10
Her insides were churning so violently that she was almost ill. But on the outside she appeared to be the epitome of the calm professional. That was the only part of herself that she allowed others to see. They must never be allowed to know how small and insecure that she felt most of the time.
“Why do they call it ‘butterflies’? she wondered. Then a ridiculous thought crossed her mind and made her laugh. Instead of butterflies in the stomach, her’s felt more like two walruses doing mortal battle.
“I’m not worthy” she thought. “Why in the world did they elect me. They should have asked someone whose faith is strong.” Then she remembered that she had never allowed others to see her vulnerable side. They didn’t know that sometimes she felt like a twelve year old girl at her first middle school dance.
And then it happened! The pastor – who always seemed so sure of himself – called her name. For better or worse, she was about to be ordained and installed as a ruling elder. Her knees felt like jelly as she walked forward. With every step she took she held on to the back of the pews so she could steady herself. No one must know how fearful she was.
Isn’t it amazing how insecure many of us feel, when we are called upon to do more than simply sit in the pew on Sunday morning? Most of us know exactly how this woman felt because we have been there. We might express the feeling differently, but we know the abject fear we feel whenever someone says, “God needs you.”
The problem at its root is one of identity. I know that we think we are too old to have an identity crisis. Adolescent rebellion is all about discovering who we are, and if we ever think about it, we are grateful that our own adolescence is long past. We can guess that the woman in the story is also well beyond adolescence, but nevertheless she is having an identity crisis. She doesn’t know or chooses to ignore who God says she is. It is too bad. Knowing the answer to the identity question, might have calmed her fears.
If you were in church on the Sunday before Christmas, I offered you a Christmas present and this is what I said. “You are a very special person. You are God’s art work, carefully and lovingly made.” It is too bad that the woman in our story didn’t know that. It would have made her trip down the center aisle a lot less fearful.
The communities to which Peter wrote were having an identity crisis. By accepting Christ the new believers lost almost everything that told them who they were. Suddenly the comfort they once received in relationships with friends and relatives simply disintegrated. And without these relationships many lost even the ability to feed their families.
In those days most trade took place through gilds – the first century equivalent of a union. Those who belonged to a guild were required to vow allegiance to the guild’s god. And when the Christians refused they were expelled from the guild. Without the guild a large part of their identities simply evaporated.
If we listen between the lines of our scripture lesson we might hear an inner conversation that sounds something like this: “I used to belong to the gild and now I don’t. So who am I now? I used to be part of my father’s family but the family has rejected me. To them I am as good as dead. So who am I now? I used to be part of a social club, but I am no longer welcome. Who am I now?”
It was obvious to the new believers how much they lost, but what did they gain? Peter answered the question this way: “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people… Once you were no people, now you are God’s people.” God transforms believers so that no matter who we once were, now we are someone else. And by the grace of God we are still becoming. The most obvious difference between who we were and who we are, is that in Christ Jesus God CHOSE US. I Peter says that we are “a CHOSEN race”. We have been ordained by our baptism to join brothers and sisters in a “royal priesthood”. Those whom God chooses, God also equips for the work of ministry.
In a few minutes we will ordain and install elders and deacons. It is a safe bet that someone is terrified by the new role he or she will play. Someone’s little inner voice is screaming, “I am not worthy! How did I get talked into this?” If that is you listen very carefully. You are CHOSEN by God, a part of the chosen race.” God chose you, God has already ordained you and made you a part of a “royal priesthood a holy nation.” Those whom God calls God equips.
This message is for each of us. A few serve as elders or deacons, but each of us is CHOSEN and equipped for ministry. You don’t have to believe me, but you should believe God. “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.” Thanks be to God. Amen.
Copyright © 2008 by Dwight R. Blackstock
posted by Dwight Blackstock | 3:36 PM
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