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You are a royal priest. That Reality Will Change Your Life Human beings are wired for connection. We long for deep relationships and real intimacy—both of which reflect our fundamental desire to be close to God. But all too often, whether because of our sin or our failures, we imagine that God prefers to keep his distance. In this book, Edward T. Welch shows us the purpose for which we were created: to be brought near to God as a kingdom of priests. He traces the priestly identity throughout the entire Bible, showing us how holiness leads to closeness to God. Through the blood of Jesus, God extends his invitation for all to draw near with open arms. And in his presence, we discover what it means to be truly human: known, unashamed, and wise, full of meaning, purpose, and abundant life.

In this groundbreaking study, John Howard Yoder searches for the New Testament vision of ministry. The author examines the vocabulary used by Paul and other New Testament writers in relation to the universal ministry of the church. The theological and sociological distinctions that have since developed between clergy and laity are also examined. Yoder concludes that the biblical texts point to the existence of a spirit-filled ministry given to all believers. While various offices of ministry are mentioned in the New Testament, the author argues that there was no laity as such in the early church. No distinctions were made between those who possessed spiritual gifts and those who did not. All members of the church were considered to have a valid ministry. Even though this radical concept of'universal ministry'was soon lost from the early church, it may serve as a catalyst for discussion today as the church faces increasing challenges in leadership.

La liturgie permet-elle aux chretiens d'etre des acteurs a part entiere? La participation active a deja beaucoup apporte pour faciliter l'implication de tous et chacun dans la liturgie, mais il est possible d'aller plus loin en mettant en relief le sacerdoce des baptises. Ce sacerdoce s'exerce dans le quotidien, mais inclut aussi la liturgie par le simple fait de participer a une celebration. Comment amener les membres de nos communautes a en prendre mieux conscience? Dans cet ouvrage, l'auteur propose de ritualiser davantage le sacerdoce des baptises dans la liturgie, de facon malleable et flexible, afin que cette dignite de tous les chretiens devienne plus concrete pour eux. Pour explorer les fondements theologiques d'une telle ritualisation, il prend pour point de depart le concept d'agent ritualise de Catherine Bell, specialiste en ritual studies, qui veut qu'un sujet qui met en oeuvre la ritualite qui le constitue se laisse faconner par son contexte et le faconne a son tour. Une analyse de l'agent ritualise est mise en interaction avec la pensee de quatre theologiens de la sacramentaire faite en postmodernite, soit Louis-Marie Chauvet - le principal auteur considere - Andrea Grillo, Kenan B. Osborne et David N. Power, de facon a articuler ce que pourrait etre un agent ritualise chretien. Cette demarche permet d'articuler ce qui se passe chez un chretien qui ritualise le sacerdoce des baptises dans la liturgie : au sein de mouvements corporels traditionnels ou nouveaux, prevus ou spontanes, il peut saisir les moments d'offrande d'une celebration afin de s'offrir au Pere, dans le Christ, sous l'impulsion de l'Esprit, en faveur des autres.

The priesthood of all believers is a doctrine with great practical implications for all Christians. Many times, though, it is overlooked when the community of a church downplays the importance of each member's unique ministry. Many church attendees assume that their pastor has a deeper access to God by virtue of his position (and his “enhanced holiness”), and they understate their own priesthood. Others overstate their personal priesthood, seeing no need for church offices because Christianity is simply between the individual and God. Indeed, the health of the church depends on correctly understanding this encouraging doctrine. Pastor Craig Troxel first lays a foundation on Christ's priesthood, examining both Christ's past priestly work at his death and his present priestly work in his intercession for us in heaven. Troxel then charts an approach for living out our own priesthood every day, in whatever work God is calling us to do.

Das «Allgemeine Priestertum» gehört zu den zentralen Begriffen protestantischer Ekklesiologie - und bleibt dennoch ein Randphänomen in den praktisch-theologischen Diskursen. Der sperrige Wortlaut und die theologisch dicht beladene Konzeption machen es schwierig, darüber zu sprechen. Gerade deshalb stellt sich die Frage, wie sich «Priesterinnen» und «Priester» heute zeigen, welche Lebensentwürfe sie haben und wie ihre gelebte Theologie aussieht, die sich im Alltäglichen immer wieder verändern und bewähren muss. Diese «Gelebte Theologie» der Priesterinnen und Priester steht im Zentrum. Dabei wird weder allein auf traditionelle Gemeindeformen fokussiert, noch findet eine Rückbesinnung zu parochialen Kerngemeindestrukturen statt. Vielmehr sind auch soziale, digitale, religiöse Netzwerkphänomene Thema dieser Studie. Denn an solchen Orten entstehen gelebte Theologien in rasantem Tempo und es bilden sich neue Leitungsstrukturen: Diese verweisen auf Aspekte des «Allgemeinen Priestertums», die in parochialen Kirchgemeinden so nicht beobachtet werden können. Die Impulse für eine Pastoraltheologie des Empowerments sollen Beitrag sein, damit sich Laien und Ordinierte auf theologischer Augenhöhe begegnen können.

The priesthood of all believers is a core Protestant belief. But what does it actually mean?Uche Anizor and Hank Voss set the record straight in this concise treatment of a doctrine that lies at the center of church life and Christian spirituality. The authors look at the priesthood of all believers in terms of the biblical witness, the contribution of Martin Luther and the doctrine of the Trinity. They place this concept in the context of the canonical description of Israel and the church as a royal priesthood that responds to God in witness and service to the world.Representing Christ is much more than a piece of Reformation history. It shows that the priesthood of all believers is interwoven with the practical, spiritual and missional life of the church.

The history of modern biblical interpretation is checkered with attempts to rethink and resituate readers theologically and ethically. At least two tendencies emerge in these remedial proposals, both of which animate this project: (1) many accounts privilege either divine action (theology) or human, ecclesial response (ethics); (2) few proposals have availed themselves of the potential hermeneutical resources of a more extensive biblical theology. This study offers a theological and ethical account of Christian readers of Scripture--one that brings together these two apparently divergent poles--through the deployment of a biblical theological motif: royal priesthood. The designation of the people of God as a royal priesthood, conditioned and informed by the offices of king and priest, carries with it themes that frame the hermeneutical situation in such a way that accounts well for the integral relation of divine agency and ecclesial response, theology and ethics.

Cultural changes and social conditions today give evidence of a growing disregard of traditional authority and an increasing distrust of institutions. Relations between pastor and people are changing. In many situations, the practice of top-down leadership appears no longer to be effective. Members Are Ministers identifies the positive change necessary to achieve greater unity and to reduce conflict within the church. This book promotes an approach that generates a greater sense of community, enables a clearer corporate and personal witness to the faith, and reduces the social distances between pastors and people. Above all, it recognizes the Word as crucial for effecting change in our emerging new culture. Paul Goetting works from a biblical base that shapes the Christian ministry of all people through their various vocations, and equips them for a clearer witness to the Christian faith and to issues of injustice. The family, the workplace, the political arena, and the church are seen as the primary contexts for authentic servant ministry of both clergy and laity.

The Reformation restored the Scriptures to the people, but the job was only halfway finished. Today the church is awakening to the truth that ministry is not just the domain of clergy, but belongs to the entire body of Christ. God is moving her to complete her unfinished business of placing the ministry back in the hands of the people.Unfinished Business has played a pivotal part in helping the church reclaim ministry at the grassroots level. First published in 1990 as The New Reformation, it has become a classic resource for church life. Expanding on and updating the original material with fresh examples and references to eight key important movements, this new edition lays foundations for the church to move from:· Passive to active· Maintenance to mission· Clergy to people of God· Teacher/caregiver to equipping enabler Pointing us back to the church as an organism, not an institution, author Greg Ogden shows how each of us is called to help finish the Reformation's unfinished business: expressing the priesthood of every believer practically in the church, the world, and all avenues of life.

Robert Muthiah believes a deepened theology of the priesthood of all believers is essential for answering the crucial questions of what shape the church should take in the twenty-first century, and how this theological query relates to the lived experiences of congregations. Emerging churches, which tend to develop vibrant practices of the priesthood of all believers, need to develop more fully their ecclesiological underpinnings, while historic churches, with a well-developed theology of the priesthood of all believers, need a renewed vigor to allow this theology to shape their congregational lives. With recourse to relevant New Testament texts and theological conversations, The Priesthood of All Believers in the Twenty-First Cenutry argues for a fresh understanding and embodiment of the priesthood of all believers by setting ecclesiology, postmodern culture, and congregational practices in dialogue. Elements of the discussion include ecumenical and Free church perspectives, Trinitarian correspondence, postmodern social structures, the relevance of Alasdair McIntyre's social practices for congregations, and forms of congregational leadership.

This book examines the portrayal of Israel as a royal-priestly nation within Exodus and against the background of biblical and ancient Near Eastern thought. Central to the work is a literary study of Exodus 19:4-6 and a demonstration of the pivotal role these verses and their main image have within Exodus. This elective and honorific designation of Yahweh's cherished people has a particular focus on the privilege of access to him in his heavenly temple. The paradigm of the royal grant of privileged status has profound implications for our understanding of the Sinai covenant.

'You're worth it.''You deserve a break today.''Do something nice for yourself.'Commonly heard phrases in this society committed to self-gratification and individual rights. Doing things for other people is a waste of precious time, and asking for help, weak. So how do we build the church described in the Scriptures? In this day and age, how can we be a genuine community based on self-sacrifice and mutual commitment? In Spiritual Disciplines Within the Church, seminary professor, author, and former pastor Don Whitney shows us how to build a sense of community and be active participants instead of passive attendees. Whitney looks at such frequently asked questions as: Why can't I get by on my own? Why should I go to church? Why should I give of myself to the church? Why do I need to worship in church? Couldn't I just worship in nature? Why does it matter whether I become a member of the church?Committed love must mark the local expression of the body of Christ. By putting spiritual disciplines into practice in the church, congregations can return to the depth of community present in the New Testament church, where they'devoted themselves to the apostles'teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.'

An up-to-date ecumenical understanding of the Church and its ministry that cuts across divisions between Catholic and Evangelical, Anglican and Reformed, and includes the ministry of both men and women.

The priesthood of all believers is a pillar undergirding Protestant ecclesiology. Yet the doctrine has often been used to serve diverse agendas. This book examines the doctrine's canonical, catholic, and contextual dimensions. It first identifies the priesthood of all believers as a canonical doctrine based upon the royal priesthood of Christ and closely related to the believer's eschatological temple-service and offering of spiritual sacrifices (chapters 1-3). It secondly describes its catholic development by examining three paradigmatic shifts, shifts especially associated with Christendom (chapters 4-6) and a suppression of the doctrine's missional component. Finally, the book argues that a Christian doctrine of the priesthood of all believers should be developed with a Christocentric-Trinitarian understanding of the missio Dei. This suggests there are especially appropriate ways for the royal priesthood to relate to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. A canonically and catholically informed priesthood of all believers leads contextually to particular ecclesial practices. These seven practices are 1) Baptism as public ordination to the royal priesthood; 2) Prayer; 3) Lectio Divina; 4) Ministry; 5) Church Discipline; 6) Proclamation; and 7) the Lord's Supper as the renewal of the royal priesthood.