I think maybe those who worked to grow the squash and potatoes and apples were servants, and the priests were those who bagged em up and brought em in to be given out. (after all, priests are go – betweens). No that doesn’t’ work. We have left out the people to went to save a lot an tops and p & c and other fine establishments to purchase canned pumpkin and boxed mac n cheese and cranberry sauce. Maybe the coordinators in each church, promoting the project and seeing it come in were the priests. Hold on, I think the people standing the parking lot, giving away the frozen turkeys with their bare hands, must be the servants, and the folks at the doorways of the church telling them where to go next were the priests. Wait a minute; perhaps I have it all wrong. Maybe we are all servants and there is only one priest, and he dwells in heaven now, Jesus the Lord, High priest forever after the order of melchizedek, who had no known beginning and no end. No, that is right, but it also says we are set aside to serve the living God, priests forever The priesthood of all believers in revelation (see 1:6; 5:10; 20:6) is a theme echoed in Peter’s first letter: “…be yourselves built into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” The thanksgiving project, going to well over 300 families, is a visible symbol for us of what the church is all about. It is a way to see what our motivation to serve the living God out of thanks looks like. And we are all servants and priests at the same time, because we serve God and in doing so, we intercede for the saints. Look again at the giveaway yesterday. People in need signed up. Not all of them did. How? Churches and turning point workers and school nurses and social worker and pastors and lay people, all worked together and go – betweens and got it done. All were Priests unto the lord.

Food was gathered. How? Shoppers and vendors and old and young and middle aged and professionals and blue collar workers and retired people and young mothers, gave what they could and gave more and brought it in. All were servants unto the lord. Boxes were stacked and boxes were filled and boxes were carried out. How? By givers and takers, by family members and church workers and those with no affiliation with a church. The passage from revelation today is about the end of the world and John’s vision of it. It focuses on the role we can play when we serve God as his priests, a cental role in worship. We are not mediators between man and God because Jesus is the ultimate mediator. We are simply the worship leaders in his kingdom, echoing praise around the world, serving however he directs. Are you a priest? Are you a servant? The answer is yes. “Elect from every nation, yet one o’er all the earth, her charter of salvation, on Lord, One faith, one birth. One holy name she blessesd, partakes one hold food; and to one hope she presses, with every grace endued.”