Ordination

Readings for today: Exodus 29-32

I remember my ordination. After three years of seminary. Six years as a candidate. Several examinations both written and oral. I was eligible to be ordained to the office of pastor. It took place on a Sunday morning at Overlook Presbyterian Church in Mobile, AL. They had called me as their pastor. I had just moved into town. It was my very first Sunday. I put on my traditional black robe. I dawned my traditional stole. I put my grandfather’s cross over the top of it all. During the service, I was asked to take several vows, committing myself to serve the Lord and His people with faithfulness. There were about eighty people there and over the next six years, they shaped me into the pastor I am today. They listened attentively to my sermons. They prayed for me and my family. They supported my crazy ideas. They celebrated our successes. They lamented our failures. They invited me into their lives. I buried some of them. I married some of them. I baptized some of them. I walked with them through good times and bad times. Sat at their bedsides in the hospital. Visited them in their homes. Together, we made a significant impact for the Kingdom of God and I will remain forever grateful for them. They are some of my favorite people in the world.

I wonder if this is how Aaron and his sons felt as they were consecrated to serve as priests for the people of Israel. Obviously, their job was much harder than mine. They served a congregation of several hundred thousand. They offered up sacrifices day and night. They performed all kinds of complicated rituals. They wore elaborate vestments. They were set apart to serve as mediators between God and His people. And it was serious business. If they failed to take their role seriously, the consequences could be fatal like in the case of the golden calf. I imagine Aaron carried the guilt of his actions that day to his grave. But it serves as a sober reminder as to what can happen when we abandon our calling to represent God and instead choose to please people.

In the New Testament, the Apostle Peter makes a startling statement. He calls Christians a “royal priesthood.” The idea here is that every Christian is now “ordained” a priest by virtue of their connection to our great high priest, Jesus Christ. All of us are “living stones” Peter says, built up as a spiritual temple, so we might serve as royal priests and offer spiritual sacrifices that are pleasing to God through Jesus Christ. It’s not that we have to bring lambs or bulls to the altar. The days of blood sacrifice are long gone. No, now we offer our very lives as a “living sacrifice”, holy and pleasing to God. This is our spiritual act of worship. In this way, all of us are ordained. All of us are consecrated. All of us are set apart so we might intercede for the world.

Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 33-36

Ordination

Readings for today: Leviticus 8-10

Ordination. It is the act of setting apart certain individuals for a holy purpose in the community. Typically, this is something we do for pastors and priests, elders and deacons. They take vows. They undergo strict training. There is often a ritual during worship where they are anointed and prayed over as they begin their work. Historically, the practice of ordination goes all the way back to ancient Israel. The priesthood was first established by God through Moses. Aaron and his children were set apart for this holy purpose. Special garments were made. Special rituals performed. And a host of expectations were now laid on these men as they went about their work. They were entrusted with nothing less than the worshipping life of Israel. There could be no higher calling. Nothing more sacred. Through their priestly actions, the people of Israel will be given an opportunity to experience the glory of God.

This is why it’s so painful when Nadab and Abihu fall. They refused to honor God by performing their prescribed duties. Instead, they decided to do their own thing. Go their own way. Offer “unauthorized fire” before the Lord. No one really knows what constituted the “unauthorized fire” but we do know it dishonored God. They deliberately presented something unholy before the Holy One and they paid the ultimate price. Fire came down from heaven and consumed them on the spot and they died “before the Lord.” Their disobedience was so severe, their father, Aaron, and their brothers, Eleazar and Ithamar, were forbidden to grieve. Why did God treat them so harshly? Here is what He says, “This is what the Lord has spoken: I will demonstrate my holiness to those who are near me, and I will reveal my glory before all the people.”(Leviticus‬ ‭10‬:‭3‬ ‭CSB‬‬) God will not be mocked. He will not be trifled with. He will not be taken for granted or treated with contempt. His glory and holiness are a double edged sword.

I was always taught that leaders are held to a higher standard. As an Eagle Scout, I was held to a higher standard than a Tenderfoot. As a senior on the football and lacrosse teams, I was held to a higher standard than a freshman. As a leader in my college youth group, I was held to a higher moral standard than someone who just attended. As a Manager of Patient Access Services at Boulder Community Hospital, I was held to a higher standard than my employees. And, of course, as a pastor, I’ve always been held to a higher standard because of the nature of my position in the church. It’s why it’s so painful when leaders fall. Over the years, I’ve been called to help in situations where pastors have failed. Sometimes it’s a moral failing usually having to do with money or sexual sin. Sometimes it’s a leadership failure usually having to do with the sin of pride. In either case, the fallout is brutal. The congregation suffers the most. Their trust is broken. Their faith is shaken. Their fellowship with believers is typically torn apart by division as people take sides. The pastor’s family suffers as well. Especially in the case of sexual sin, there is often a divorce. The wife and children lose friendships and community as the pastor is no longer allowed to be part of the church. And then there is the pastor themselves. The damage to the soul of their leadership is almost incalculable. Not to mention the loss of a job or career or livelihood. Most refuse to walk the road of restoration and instead try to find ways back in without having to repent. It’s painful to witness.

This is worth thinking about in our own lives. All of us hold positions of influence and power in some way, shape, or form in life. It may be in our homes. It may be at school or at work. It may be in our church or community. The greater the influence and power and leadership entrusted to us, the more God expects of us. The more He demands from us. And the greater the consequences when we fail. As Christians, all of us are called to a higher standard. The standard set by Jesus Christ. How are you seeking to embody that standard today?

Readings for tomorrow: No readings on Sundays