Church of the Holy City

A Kingdom of Priests

A Kingdom of Priests
Rev. Dr. David J. Fekete
August 10, 2014

Exodus 19:1-8 Revelation 21:9-14, 22-27; 22:1-5 Psalm 27

In our Exodus reading, God tells the people of Israel that they will be a kingdom of priests. And in Revelation, we have a description of the Holy City coming down from heaven. These two readings may not look related from a literal reading. But when we look at the spiritual sense of these passages, we will see that a kingdom of priests is like dwelling in the Holy City, which is coming down from heaven. The same qualities that make the Holy City come from heaven are the qualities that make for a kingdom of priests. Both point to embodying spiritual principles in our lives.
What does it mean to be a kingdom of priests? I would be called a priest. I lead worship. I create religious courses for us to study here at the church. And for Paulhaven I created the lesson plans that the teachers used. At Paulhaven, the campers functioned as priests, too. Each class took a chapel service at night and led chapel. So the campers were priests too! This was the case at Almont, too. There, classes took chapel at night, too.
But is this what the Bible means by saying that the people of Israel would be a kingdom of priests? Does it mean that all the Israelites would take a turn performing sacrifices in the tabernacle? Would they all have the special vestments that the priests wore? Well there is no record of this in the Bible. This didn’t go on. And yet the people of Israel are called a kingdom of priests. Something else is meant.
What would it mean? I think that the kingdom of priests needs to be seen as a metaphor. God isn’t referring to literal priests. And I think that the passage can be expanded beyond the people of Israel. I think that we all can be that kingdom of priests. Isn’t being a kingdom of priests a kingdom where everyone is in right relationship with God? Isn’t a kingdom of priests a kingdom where everyone is carrying God in their hearts? We hear of the priesthood of all believers. In this sense, being a believer, or being in right relation with God, is what is meant by the kingdom of priests. So being in a kingdom of priests means being in a community where people are in right relation with God.
To be even more clear, this reading doesn’t mean that priests are in better relation with God. I’m always amused when a certain friend at AA meetings talks about his character defects. He often says, “I still have character defects. I’m not ready to be ordained.” At this I smile, and others who know me smile, too. My ordination in no way makes me free of character defects. I am a fellow pilgrim on this plane, walking toward the Holy City.
But like everyone, I, too, am working on my relationship with God. And that is what entrance into the Holy City means. Our Bible reading says that the Holy City is coming down from heaven. What kind of city comes down from heaven? Aren’t most cities built from the ground up? They do not come down from the heavens.
Our church teaches that heaven is what is inside us. Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, ‘Lo, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the within you” (Luke17:20-21). So heaven is inside us, and also all around us wherever we are. This means that a city coming down from heaven is a city coming from within us.
I think that Paulhaven Camp is like the heavenly city coming down from heaven. We can see what I mean by considering what makes Paulhaven what it is. To make my point, I asked the campers this very question. I asked them what makes Paulhaven what it is. I asked, “Is it the food? Is it the dorm buildings? Is it the lodge?” And when I asked them, “Is it the showers?” there was a resounding, “NO!” (There is no hot water in the showers and the water is almost orange from the minerals in it.)
So I then asked the congregation what makes Paulhaven what it is. Some of the parents who came up to pick up their children spoke up, too. Some of the answers to what makes Paulhaven what it is were,
• Memories
• Friendships
• Feelings of love
• The joy of playing together (and there were no video games or smart phones at Paulhaven
• Learning about God in classes
• Worshipping God in chapel (You should have heard the teens belting out the lyrics to those chapel songs.)
These are some of the things that make Paulhaven what it is. And these are heavenly things. These are spiritual qualities that live for ever. These are the things that the Holy City is built of. And these are things that come out when Jesus is put first. When Jesus is at the centre of a city, or a community, or a person’s heart, then all these spiritual qualities emerge. Without Jesus, would the love, friendships, and memories be so special?
Recall from our reading that Jesus and the Lamb are at the very centre of the Holy City. Jesus gives light to the city so you don’t even need the sun. The gates of the city are never closed. It is Jesus who enlightens us all and gives us the warmth of love. And Jesus is always present, knocking at the door of our hearts, waiting for us to open up to Him. He is the source of all those lovely feelings that make Paulhaven what it is.
I would make the same observation about this church. What makes the Church of the Holy City what it is? Some of you were here when the building was built, and so the building itself has special meaning for you. But I would suggest that it is what happens in this building that has the deepest meaning for us. It is seeing the same faces week after week and the bonds that grow from that. It is the love and happiness that grows in this building. And I suggest that especially, it is putting Jesus at the centre of everything that makes for these bonds of affection.
These are the reasons Paulhaven and this church are like the Holy City coming down from heaven. These communities are built of heavenly qualities. These feelings of connection, of community, of love are what make Paulhaven and what make this church. This is why Paulhaven and this church are like the Holy City.
In the middle of the games at Paulhaven; in the middle of the beach; in the middle of the campfire; in the middle of it all, Jesus is at the centre. And so it is for the Church of the Holy City. Paulhaven and the Church of the Holy City are kingdoms of priests, and those places are as the Holy City coming down from heaven. They are sustained by the spiritual qualities that the Holy City is built of. Qualities that come from within and make heaven on earth.

PRAYER

Dear Lord, You promise the descent of your Holy City which is to come down from heaven. And we know that heaven and your kingdom is within us. We ask for you to admit us into the Holy City. We ask that you give us the heavenly qualities of which the Holy City is built. For that city is not built of stone, cement, and metal. The Holy City is built of love, charity, and truth. May we likewise be built of love, charity, and truth. So as the Holy City descends from heaven, may we ascend into heaven and take our place in that city.

And Lord, we pray for the sick. May they experience the power of your healing love. Fill them with the grace of your healing power. Comfort their family and friends. We pray for the grace of your healing power for all who are ailing in body or soul.