Reading through Isaiah and Hebrews ...

Isaiah 61 - Are We Priests?

Isa 61:6 says, "You will be called priests of the Lord, ministers of our God ..."
The whole true and believing Church of Jesus Christ, the Bible says, is composed entirely of priests. We're all priests. Say what? But that's what the Bible says. Since Ex 19:6 even. We're to be a "kingdom of priests and a holy nation." I wonder if next time someone says they're looking for the priest if the whole congregation should stand up and say, "Here I am!"

Here's what I think us all being a "priest" of God means ...
1. Like a priest used to act as the intermediary between God and people, so we need to act on God's behalf, because God has chosen to reveal Himself through us (2 Cor 5:20; 1 Pet 2:9). It means that when we walk outside our home, we represent Christ. In any given day, I may be the only "Jesus" a person sees. How do I act? How am I loving or unloving? Joyful or unjoyful? How I live affects the way people see and know God. Why? Cause we're all priests
2. I think us all being a priest of God means that our ultimate treasure is and should be God Himself. Deut 10:9 always fascinated me. Everyone gets land, but the line of priests, of levi, what's their portion? nothing but the Lord. In the same way, as Christians, we should count all we have as loss for the sake of gaining Jesus Christ (Phil 3:7). If we hold onto our pockets tighter than we hold onto the cross, we've stopped being priests of God.

The truth is, I feel like sometimes in our churches, we outsource our Christianity. Why be a priest ourselves, when we can go listen to one once a week. Why serve in the homeless shelter or do missions when I can tithe to the church that does those things. Why read the Bible when someone else tells me what it means. It's easier that way ...

but Christ calls us to more than that. Christ calls us all to be priests. Christ calls all of us, even me, the unqualified and unordained and unready for many priestly things, to be a priest.

no we're not all called to teach but we are all called to model Christ's teaching.
no we're not all called to serve in the pulpit, but we are all called to serve our neighbor
no we're not all called to have a low-paying job in the middle of farmville boofoo, with ignorant, brilliant, rude, humble and hormonally imbalanced teenagers that we love more and teach the truths of Jesus Christ more and more and that we have the joys of seeing spiritual growth and yes, even regeneration in many new believers and we get to harvest that passion and love for Jesus Christ as youth ministry leaders and role models for these teens that often have no other good role models in their families and lives. Not all of us are called to that either. Only some.

But we are all called to be ministers. Not just the youth ministers. and the ministers and pastors and deacons.

we're all priests. our church should be our flock too. do we love them?
our community is our ministry too. do we serve them?
The Lord is our portion too. Do we act like it?

Are we priests? It certainly doesn't depend on if our first name is "Reverand" or not. It depends on how we live.