We are each priest prophet king

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about why we need to take charge of the Church's teaching that we each are priest, prophet and king. In Lumen Gentium the Church reinforced St Paul's teaching that we share these roles through our unity as part of the body of Christ. Paul VI wrote that

the faithful are by baptism made one body with Christ ... they are in their own way made sharers in the priestly, prophetical, and kingly functions of Christ.

I was brought up in a Church which left all of that the the clergy - but it is a sign of the growing maturity of the Church in our time that unordained people are taking responsibility for their own growth as spiritual people - and accepting the roles given to us by Jesus, and reinforced (in word if not always in practice) for 2000 years.

So what does "priest, prophet, king" look like when I see it?

When Martin Luther made the "priesthood of all believers" one of his three central insights, he was not inventing the concept: he was demanding that the old idea be renewed. The tired Catholic Church of the time had let it slide - and perhaps Protestantism has found it a little hard as well.

Working in business, communications, politics, parenting or any other role, is priestly because it allows us to connect our beliefs to our everyday actions, giving us purpose in our work and equipping us to serve others and make a difference in the world.

Peter calls us “living stones, being built up as a church for a holy priesthood.” He goes on to say, “We are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession that we may proclaim the excellences of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvellous light.” (1 Peter 2)

I’m not an expert, but it seems to me that gives us direction and expectation:

1. In Jesus’ time, only the high priest could enter into the Holy of Holies, but Jesus gave us all a direct line to God. When I was growing up, real prayer was priests’ work. However more and more over the last 30 years I have seen ordinary Christians like myself taking responsibility for more than formulaic prayer. Meditation and contemplation have moved out of the monasteries and into the daily lives of people: Christian and non-Christian.
2. Our sacrifices are not the bulls, goats and doves of Jesus’ time, but sacrifices such as prayer, praise, thanksgiving, repentance, justice, kindness, blessings and love. Peter says we are a holy priesthood in order to “offer up spiritual sacrifices wholly acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
3. We are to be modern-day prophets. As a “royal priesthood,” Peter tells us one of our responsibilities is to “declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” We are expected to be prophetic (in our words and actions) about things we see that are unjust, and leading reconciliation in our work, our families, schools, and communities.
4. So we must work for change, shining God’s love in a dark and troubled world. Many of us think being king is a political role - and it is - but Jesus also emphasised the shepherding role of a good king. Our job here is to work for unity of all God's people - and to look after the people at the margins of our society: the refugees, the outcast, the ill, the disturbed, the imprisoned.
   

If we see ourselves as serious followers of Jesus, part of the body of Christ - regardless of our job, we will confront problems in the Church and in the world. We will be able to live as we believe in our work and in our human interactions. We will be agents of reconciliation, ambassadors, and mediators. In other words, we will be kings, priests and prophets in our society.

With this revolutionary mindset toward all areas of life, we come boldly into God's presence, confident in our relationship with our Creator, prophetic about injustice, and agents of forgiveness in our jobs, schools, families and communities.

These are expectations for each us, regardless of our denomination or church attendance. As people created by God, we are called to the fullness of life - for ourselves - and for our brothers and sisters.