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Between Babel and Beast
(America and Empires in Biblical Perspective)
The Glory of Kings: A Festschrift for James B. Jordan
Fyodor Dostoevsky
(Christian Encounters Series)
Athanasius
(Foundations of Theological Exegesis and Christian Spirituality)
The Four: A Survey of the Gospels
Defending Constantine: The Twilight of an Empire and the Dawn of Christendom
From Behind the Veil: The Epistles of John
Deep Exegesis:The Mystery of Reading Scripture
1 & 2 Kings
Brazos Theological Commentary
The Promise Of His Appearing: An Exposition Of Second Peter
A Great Mystery: Fourteen Wedding Sermons
Deep Comedy: Trinity, Tragedy, And Hope In Western Literature
Miniatures & Morals: The Christian Novels of Jane Austen
The Priesthood of the Plebs: A Theology of Baptism
A Son To Me: An Exposition of 1 & 2 Samuel
From Silence to Song: The Davidic Liturgical Revolution
Ascent to Love: A Guide to Dante's Divine Comedy
Blessed Are the Hungry: Meditations on the Lord's Supper
A House For My Name: A Survey of the Old Testament
Heroes of the City of Man: A Christian Guide to Select Ancient Literature
Brightest Heaven of Invention: A Christian Guide To Six Shakespeare Plays
Wise Words: Family Stories That Bring the Proverbs to Life
The Kingdom and the Power: Rediscovering the Centrality of the Church
Exodus 28:32-33: Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, at the doorway of the tent of meeting. Thus they shall eat those things by which atonement was made at their ordination and consecration; but a layman shall not eat them because they are holy.
The ordination service for Aaron and his sons ends with a meal. After they are anointed, invested with priestly robes, daubed with blood, after they sacrifice, they sit down to feast for the first time in the tent of meeting. Having been made holy, they can eat holy food.
The Lord’s table too is a table is a table for priests. And we are those priests, consecrated by baptism, so that we can come to this table. As many liturgies put it, here our Father offers “holy things for the holy people.”
It’s significant that, like the ordination ritual, our worship ends with a meal. That’s a sign that our worship service is an ordination, or re-ordination rite. Every week, we gather to be reconstituted and reconsecrated as the priestly people of God. We are cleansed; we are instructed; we eat; and we are sent out.
Each week God redeploys our bodies as instruments of His righteousness. You use holy hands to eat this holy bread; use them this week to share bread with the hungry. You taste Christ; this week, use your mouth to speak the Christ you eat to the lost. Wine makes your heart glad; spread that joy.
These are holy things for the holy people, to renew us in holiness, so that God’s Name might be hallowed and His will done on earth as in heaven.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Sunday, August 5, 2012 at 5:46 pm
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