The danger is that there may be modern Pharisees or traditionalists that may try to stop what appears to be a new work of God.  We have to remember that the Pharisees’ doctrine as shown in the New Testament was dangerous.  It was dangerous because they founded their authority upon oral law or human traditions and as a result were legalistic, self-righteous and formalistic. They believed in salvation by law-keeping. Consequently, they denied salvation by grace through faith alone. They, in practice, denied the doctrine of original sin and depravity.

The Pharisees also “redefined the law externalizing it so that (in their mind) an outward, formal obedience to the law could be achieved. They “fenced” the law with all sorts of silly man-made rules and regulations so that sanctification consisted in ritual observances instead of learning and obeying the law itself. In the New Testament there are many references to the absurd detailed legalism of the Pharisees: the tithing of herbs (Mt. 23:23; Lk. 11:42); the wearing of tassels and phylacteries (Mt. 23:5); the obsession with ritual purity (e.g., Mk. 7:1ff.); frequent fasting (Mt. 9:14); and, silly and arbitrary rules surrounding oaths (Mt. 23:5). As Jesus said they strain out a gnat and swallow a camel (Mt. 23:24).”

“The Pharisees took pride in their Jewish heritage and greatly over-emphasized their privileged status as Jews (Rom. 2:17ff.) at the expense of the necessity of saving faith and conversion. Their religion was very external; good works were placed on display to be seen and praised by men (Mt. 6:1-6, 16; 23:5). Their religious leaders loved pomp, status and power (Mt. 23:6).”

            We have to remember what Christ says of these type of religious leaders.  They spoke of the law; love of ceremonies or tradition and religiosity, the way things should be done.  If one studies the New Testament, they will find that the Pharisees are strongly condemned by Christ. A bible commentator says, “by their traditions they nullified God’s law (Mt. 15:3ff; Mk. 7:8-9). The Pharisees and their followers will not enter the kingdom of God (Mt. 23:13). They are blind leaders of the blind (Mt. 15:14), hypocrites (Mk. 7:6), whose hearts are far from God (Mt. 15:8). They are full of inner corruption (Mt. 23:27ff) and are guilty of persecuting the true people of God (Mt. 23:34-35). Thus, they are designated as “the synagogue of Satan” by Jesus (Rev. 2:9). Our Lord had a good reason to say the apostles, ‘Look out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’”

            While the Moravian Church may not have many Pharisees, if any, it has many traditions and an established way of worship I believe it is good, but we need to be aware of false doctrine and false teachers that promote the church or church traditions rather than true worship of Jesus Christ.  There is always reaction when there is pressure to make some changes in how the church functions as it has for the last 50 years.  It is true that there is a young generation out there that is finding the local church meaningless.  It sounds like that Moravian bishops of the Unity recognize the need for the contemporary Church to make changes that meet the needs of the younger generation.  Are we as believers within the Moravian Church willing to make the changes that God may be speaking to us through the Young People from the community of Manokotak?

Recent national studies have shown that more than two thirds of young adults drop out of the church. In our villages and cities many of our young people will have nothing to do with the local church.  In addition to the church losing its younger flocks, many are discontent and view the church more negatively than in years past.  Why are youth leaving the church you ask? I’ll tell you why.  Maybe they are tired of fake Christians.  There may be the Pharisee’s and Sadducees in our day. They create their own spiritual laws and do not believe in nor involve God’s power in directing their life.  They do not understand the working of and the leadership of the Holy Spirit in their lives.  They do not understand what the Spirit of God is saying to the Church today!

One of the big issues I am dealing with that may help us to understand the transformation happening around us today is the idea of the “believer priest”.  The Moravian pastor or lay pastor is not the only one who does ministry in the community.

Who should do the ministry in the church?  The ministry in the church is not just to be done by just one person - but by all of the believers in the church.

It is my understanding that the specialized ordain clergy has we know it did not evolve until over 200 years later after Pentecost.  Around 200 A.D. two of the church's leaders, Hippolytus and Tertullian, revived the notion of a "special priesthood," with that title to be worn only by the clergy. By the end of the fourth century that office had been formalized, and the "laity" accepted second-class status in ministry.

What’s interesting about the Father of the Reformation, The Rev. Martin Luther, as a priest-in-training Brother Luther rediscovered the claims of Scripture, with its gift of justification by grace through faith and its commission to serve in the "priesthood of all believers." He minced no words: "All Christians are priests, and all priests are Christians. Worthy of anathema is any assertion that a priest is anything else than a Christian."

John Calvin another reformer of the Christian Church understood church polity which said that laity and clergy alike should serve in ordained offices of leadership—as peers in proclamation of the Word, peers in intercessory prayer, and peers in mission service.   I believe it was Brother Calvin that said, “creeping clericalism" among the clergy plus a spiritual inferiority complex among the laity have continued to minimize believers' perception and fulfillment of their priestly call. But that call remains God's call and commission for all God's people to fulfill

We must remember that the early Christian Church had plenty of problems and issues to deal with.  The one-pastor-centered church wasn't a problem for the early church.  The congregation gather were not spectators.  All of the early believers where involved in the work of the Church in one way or another.  We have to remember in the Book of Acts, teams of pastors called "elders" led their churches, and the burden of God's work was spread to all the believers not just one or two the pastor-elders.  As we shall see from Scripture all believers - men, women and children - are priests. All believers have distinctive spiritual gifts, and are responsible to exercise those gifts.

The local church has clergy.  This is good.  I am glad I am a clergy man and God has blessed my ministry over the years.  But the reality is there is no "one man ministry" in Scripture. We are all to minister in accordance with the gifts the Lord has given us.  The New Testament teaches that every believer is a priest ordained by God. The church is composed of believer-priests. This teaching is called "the priesthood of all believers".  (1 Pet 2:5) you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Pet 2:9) But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people. (Rev 1:6) ... has made us kings and priests to His God and Father. Unlike the Old Testament priests, all believer-priests have the right of direct access to God. (Hebrews 10:19-25)

Because we are all priests, we don't need to have a special humanly ordained priest or clergyman between us and God, neither do we need to have the virgin Mary between us and God: (1 Tim 2:5) For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.  If all believers are priests, who is the High Priest?  We know the answer is Jesus.  He is our High Priest:  (Heb 4:14, 15) Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathise with our weaknesses.

The "priesthood of all believers" assures involvement in the local church.  According to the Apostle Paul, part of the priestly role includes the exercise of all of the spiritual gifts that are used to build up the church.  (Rom 12:4-8) For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.  Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry (serving), let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

There are lists of the spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4:11, 1 Peter 4.  There appears to be open worship and Open Ministry in the early church.  Because every believer is a priest, every believer is to be involved in the priestly roles of worship and ministry. There should be open worship and Open Ministry in the church today; that’s why the Spiritual Feast idea is a good one because it is Holy Spirit led, glorifies Jesus Christ, and gives everyone an opportunity to minister to others. 

When we talk about Open Ministry we don't just mean the teaching ministry - we mean exercising all the different gifts of the Holy Spirit given to each believer-priest.  Every believer-priest, man, woman, and child, is given one or more spiritual gifts to use.

We should remember that although leading the gathered church in worship is a very important priestly duty - it is actually only one of the duties carried out by the clergy as believer priests.  Since others who are gifted are indeed believer priests, why can’t they lead in worship?  The freedom that believers have to lead the gathered church in open worship doesn't mean that they can do any-thing they want in the meeting.  As our young people from Manokotak reminds us of the Spirit Feast and it is my paraphrase and mine alone:  "this is open meeting is not a meeting that is open to man. It is a meeting that is open to the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God will assure order and decency and it will glorify Jesus Christ and Him alone”.  .

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In conclusion let me share this is that the future of the Spiritual Feast is depend upon God’s people, and each individual believer priest who is willing to participate in it with a clean life.  Paul the Apostle speaks of holiness.  There is need for spiritual preparation before the open meeting.   What would hurt the future of the Spiritual Feast or Open Meeting is if God’s people stop spending time alone with God and His Word during the week.  If time is not spent with God our prayers will be cold and formal. Our hearts will be empty. The believer priests will have nothing spiritually meaningful to share at the meeting and the Spiritual Feast will die.

One thing is also very clear to me is that the Spiritual Feast does not orient itself to any one believer priest.  Near death stories are not its focus.  While each believer has a gift or testimony to share, the success of the Spiritual Feast is dependent upon all believers sharing in humility and submission to the Holy Spirit which gives praise and honor and glory to Jesus Christ who will come soon in power and glory to redeem mankind.   

© Copyright 2006 Anchorage Moravian Church
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