#AtoZChallenge: Priesthood

I’d originally wanted to talk about priesthood under L (for Levites), but then Listen pushed its way through, so here we are. 1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Backtracking to verse 5, it says, “You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

Back in the OT, not just anyone could go and seek God. There was this Jewish tribe called the Levites who were basically pulled out of the inheritance of the land promised to the Jews and set apart as caretakers of the tabernacle and aides to the priests. The priests themselves were Levites, but from Aaron’s line. Only the High Priest could go into the Holy of Holies once a year to bring sacrifices, and he had to go with this bell and rope tied around his foot so that if the bell stopped tinkling (meaning he wasn’t moving anymore), they would know to pull his body out because that meant he did something wrong and God had to strike him dead. Yeah, I know I’m glad we don’t live in that era anymore. (Also, I’m wondering, why do I know this? How do I know this? Am I even getting it all right?)

But so, the Levites were basically the people who helped the priests (and some of them were priests), so in a strange kind of parallel, the worship leader (and the worship team) are the people who help the pastors; whilst that is kind of true, it’s not exactly 100% right either. Because when Jesus was crucified, and the veil in the temple was torn, it symbolised the fact that now everyone had access to God; as is said in 1 Peter - we, the followers of Christ, are in fact the new priesthood.

As a worship leader, you come with that mantle of leadership - of priesthood. It’s true that each and everyone standing in the congregation has that calling, but right now, where they are, they are looking to you to lead them in to the presence of God, kind of like how the priests led the worship of God in the temple. And whilst God doesn’t strike people dead with lightning anymore (at least not that I’ve heard in recent years), it’s still an awfully heavy and solemn responsibility.

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About the book:

Jane Hays has been told all her life that it’s dangerous to be out in the forest past sundown. At fifteen, she’s quite sure that it’s all old wives’ tales... yet, why does her village bar the gates every night? Why do they even have gates? When she is caught in an unexpected rainstorm on her way home, Jane ignores all the warnings and seeks shelter in a cottage in the middle of the forest. Soon, she is caught up in a world of magic and beauty – and in the storm of the Fairy Queen’s wrath.

The Fairy Queen is out for blood. There have been intruders – human intruders – in her domain and she will stop at nothing to find them and kill them. After all, it is only fair. She is only seeking retribution for the death that humans leave in their wake.

But Jane isn’t all that she seems to be. And the events of the night aren’t as innocent as they appear.

A tale of magic, fairy creatures and family, Coexist is a novella for the young and the young-at-heart.

Get Coexist on Amazon or Smashwords. Check out Book Depository or Createspace for paperbacks!