All who follow Christ today are comfortable with identifying as his disciples. They also know it was after a night spent in prayer, that from his first disciples Jesus chose twelve apostles. These became a group so gifted that on day one about three thousand people were baptised. Their first preacher subsequently framed a beautiful invitation to join what we now call the church. It began and ended with these words: “Come as living stones, and let yourselves be used in building the spiritual temple, where you will serve as holy priests to offer spiritual sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ….you are the chosen race, the King’s priests, the holy nation, God’s own people chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God…”
The spiritual temple continues to this day offering the same spiritual sacrifices. Many millions of baptised Christians live as a priesthood working both for themselves and for the world. (1 Peter 2, verses 5 and 9) From their numbers arise by way of succession to the apostles a clergy who in these times serve both people of church and peoples of the world. Working together they are ordained for service.
Chosen from the faithful the clergy work best when they work together.
There is the order of bishops many of whom not only pastor the lay faithful, but have their own helper group of ordained faithful, some of whom are known as priests, and others are deacons. The bishops in different regions of the world gather as conferences, not only together to pastor the people of their region, but also to be united with one universal pastor, a bishop whom they regard as the successor of the Apostle St Peter.
What St Paul wrote about all parts of the body of Christ applies even more so to all those ordained for service. He said: “If our gift is to speak God’s message, we should do it according to the faith that we have; if it is to serve, we should serve; if it is to teach, we should teach; if it is to encourage others, we should do so. Whoever shares with others should do it generously; whoever has authority should work hard; whoever shares kindness to others should do it cheerfully.” Romans 12: 6b – 8
