April 22, 2015

Honoring my priest...it is not an option!

Wisdom of Sirach 7:29-31 LXX

Fear the Lord with all your soul
And honor His priests.
Love Him who made you
And do not forsake His ministers.
Fear the Lord and honor His priests,
And give them their portion as commanded:
The firstfruits, the trespass offering,
The gift of the shoulder offering,
The sacrifice of sanctification,
And the firstfruits of the holy things.

Personal Challenge

One of the errors that the reformed way of thinking has brought into our faith practice in the West is the elimination of the role of the priest in the church. We have ministers, pastors, teachers, elders, and even people called priests, but we have changed our view of them, and most importantly, their role in the Body of Christ to just being a job or an occupation. I am coming to value and deeply cherish the role, and, therefore, the person filling that role, of the priest in the Orthodox Church. These men are not in their positions without much teaching, scrutiny, prayer, and oversight. They are ordained by the Church with a lineage that goes back to the first days of Christianity. They are deeply committed to their flocks, usually spending many hours of preparation for every hour that we see them at church. I am extremely humbled by this passage in Sirach as I am not only reminded, but commanded, on how to treat my priest. As I learn more about Orthodoxy and continue to pursue "being Orthodox", I find that I am moving farther and farther away from those around me that desire to be "modern Christians". Glory be to God!