A Royal Priesthood...

In Staff meeting today, my Pastor brought it up that at Erwin McManus’ church in California, all the volunteers are referred to as “staff” members.  They do this to help people see that whether they are the one up in front of the service or not, they are important to the body, and they are a part of the mission of the church. 

This got me thinking about this call to prayer for the next generation.  I thought about this passage of scripture:

 ⁴ As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— ⁵ you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house^[a] to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ For in Scripture it says:

   “See, I lay a stone in Zion,
   a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
   will never be put to shame.”^[b]

 ⁷ Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

   “The stone the builders rejected
   has become the cornerstone,”^[c]

 ⁸ and,

   “A stone that causes people to stumble
   and a rock that makes them fall.”^[d]

   They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

 ⁹ 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. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

1 Peter 2:6-10

This passage from 1 Peter chapter 2 drives home the fact that we are all “living stones…being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood.”  Peter also describes us as a “chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession.”  These are pretty lofty terms.  They are terms of belonging, purpose, focus and direction in the movement of God’s Kingdom. 

I feel it is crucial for us not just to know our own position in this priesthood, but also to know that we all have a place in making sure the next generation understands their position as priests.  Whether you are the one doing direct mentoring or not, you have a role in seeing God’s young people become that “holy nation” they have been created to be.

Let’s all follow the calling to be the ‘staff’ that works together to shine the Light of Christ’s Holy Kingdom into this next generation.

Father, help us to see our place in helping those younger than us come to understanding of their place in Your Kingdom.  Be that presence that spurs us into action as we find out our role in this endeavor.  Amen!

One is coming...

John announced: “Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals.  I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!”

With a couple of students I am working with, we decided to look deeply into the book of Mark together.  As we started last week, we came to this passage.  I know this is about John the Baptist, but it says so much about Jesus too.  It says so much about posture...what our stance in the presence of Christ could be.  See, John gets that this life that we are given is not really about us.  It is about Christ.  It is about His greatness bursting forth from us.  It is about us coming to the knowledge that Christ is the one who is 'worthy', and this Holy Spirit baptism is a necessary step to allowing Christ's 'worthiness' to rub off onto us.

So, as John announced this posture, I think we are also being urged to 'announce' what our posture will be when it comes to the 'great'ness of Christ shining from our lives.  This announcement can come in the words we use and the lives we live.

Please pray today for that one younger person who comes to mind when you think of Christ's 'greatness' bursting forth into the next generation.

Some Scripture to Share

As a part of our meeting yesterday, Jesse Vore brought this scripture:

^"For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family^[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. "

Ephesians 4:14-19


This seems to really sum up the feeling in the room as we were discussing where God was leading us with our thoughts towards prayer.  We pray for His "glorious riches (to) strengthen (us) with power through his Spirit" as we endeavor to reach this next generation.  We long for the day when we "may be filled to the measure of the fullness of God."  Please join us!

Call to Prayer

So...for who-so-ever may care, I've decided to dive into the world of the Blog-o-sphere.  Not that my thoughts or opinions matter any more than any other, but I'm finding that they do matter some.  They matter because I am fearfully and wonderfully made, and God has placed something very special inside of me.  He has placed his very presence there, and if there is no other reason for my words to matter, that reason DOES matter.  So, with that...

I met today with a group of Pastors, Youth Pastors and Friends Denominational Leaders from IYM and WYM.  We were meeting to discuss the fact that leadership development is something that demands our attention, it demands our focus.  The reason for this is because we have a message to carry to the world that God loves and He has sent his Son Jesus to show us just how much He loves.  And we feel that this message of love can be given in a unique and beautiful way in the context of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).  We need leaders to carry this message into this next generation.  So these leaders need to be identified, encouraged, lifted up, loved on, and believed in.

And we decided it has to start with prayer.  So, we are asking you, whomever you may be, to join us in prayer.  Pray for this emerging generation.  Pray for those young people who are going to carry the Friends message of Christ into the future.  Pray for those who will rise up to lead us.  Pray for those who will come along-side these young people to mentor them, train them and show them the way towards a Christ-filled life.  Please join us in prayer!

And consider as you pray what your role may be in reaching this next generation for Christ.  Maybe you are being called to be a mentor to someone younger than you.  Maybe you are being called to reach out to that kid who lives down the street who you know needs some extra love.  Maybe you are being called to do something as simple as offering words of encouragement to a younger person.  Prayerfully consider what God might be nudging you to do!