5 Steps to Bearing the Presence of God...not really

In a class at Houghton called “Worship in the Church,” Dr. Michael Walters once said, “If we took the worship of God seriously, as people walked into church we would hand out helmets instead of bulletins.”  That idea has always stuck with me.  Sometimes we get so used to the Church’s encounter with God, that we stroll in expecting the experience to be fun, entertaining, instructional, emotional, or “meaningful.”  What we don’t expect is that an encounter with God might be DANGEROUS!

The Israelites knew this.  Remember on Sinai, when the thunderstorm kicked up, the people didn’t dance around for joy.  They were afraid!  God’s presence was too much.  What about the men of the tribe of Levi?  They were the brave souls who drew near to God on behalf of the people.  What was their deal?

It’s important that we first realize that all of Israel was considered to be priests. "You will be for me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation."(Ex 19:6) God's people were to function sacramentally in the world, bearing God before the nations and bringing the nations into covenant with God. Pretty cool huh?  Still within this kingdom of priests were a group of people who fulfilled a special role.  The tribe of Levi would be the priests among the priests.

Would you indulge me if I said that humans were created for union with God?  That union is the fulfillment of all our desires.  Of course we know that there appears a rupture between our ultimate end and how our lives play out. I am made for God, but I search for my end other places. Just when I think I have quenched my desires I realize I am all the more thirsty for something more.  This is what is called the effects of sin.  The story of the Old Testament is the story of God bridging the rupture between humanity and the divine. Thus He covenants with a people to unite Himself to humanity. The limitation is that we are no longer ready for that union. This is why when God meets with people they have to purify themselves.  Get ready!

We had mentioned earlier that the Tent of Meeting was the meeting place between heaven and earth. When a priest stood in the Tent he was also standing in the heavenly Temple.  The question is: if you were to stand before God in the heavenly temple, would you be ready? Isaiah wasn't ready. That's why when he found himself so close to God he said, “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”  (Isaiah 6:5) How then are priests expected to come so near to the Divine and bear the overwhelming presence?

Well the answer apparently has something to do with a priest’s ordination.  From any other perspective, there was no difference between a man from the Tribe of Levi and a man from the Tribe of Benjamin.  Both suffered from the same distance from God, and both were sinners who would be fearful of beholding the Glory of the LORD.  The only real difference is that God chose to ordain men from the Tribe of Levi by pouring oil on their heads.   Before his ordination a man may have beheld the Glory of the LORD, and been overwhelmed by the vision, and maybe even died!  After some oil is poured on his head (oh yeah don’t be stingy with that sacred oil (Ex 29:7)) he can stand before God on behalf of the people.  The ordination of a priest made all the difference.

Here’s what I’m suggesting:  The oil actually had an effect on the priest.  Somehow the oil mediated the presence of God in such a way that the priest was changed and infused with supernatural grace to be able to minister before God.  Before, because of sin, the presence of God was too much.  After ordination he could bear it.  And not only bear it, but like Moses, he could communicate the Glory of God to the people. 

What conclusions can we draw from this brief look at priestly ordination?  I task you with this challenge.  But let me offer some reflections.

1.   Through the incarnation, the Glory of the LORD has been revealed to humanity, and is beheld by the Church.  “And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)  The Glory, the overwhelming presence of God came among humanity, and Christians witnessed it (and didn’t die from the vision) in the person of Christ.  Christ is not only the Divine that is beheld, He is also the mediator of that presence between God and humanity.  The letter to the Hebrews is clear that Jesus is the high priest on behalf of humanity.

2.   The entire Church is priestly.   “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” (1Peter 2:9)  Just like Israel, the Church acts as a priestly people who reveals God to the world.  Through our baptism (which includes anointing with sacred chrism) we are anointed as priests who can bear the presence of Christ.  Through baptism we are readied to behold this glory and be glory bearers. (more to come on this theme later with my sacraments class).

3.  What about Christian Ordination?  Because the entire Church is priestly does not mean that there are not priests among the priests who have a particular role.   To quote the CCC: 

“The ministerial or hierarchical priesthood of bishops and priests, and the common priesthood of all the faithful participate, "each in its own proper way, in the one priesthood of Christ." While being "ordered one to another," they differ essentially.²² In what sense? While the common priesthood of the faithful is exercised by the unfolding of baptismal grace --a life of faith, hope, and charity, a life according to the Spirit--, the ministerial priesthood is at the service of the common priesthood. It is directed at the unfolding of the baptismal grace of all Christians. The ministerial priesthood is a means by which Christ unceasingly builds up and leads his Church. For this reason it is transmitted by its own sacrament, the sacrament of Holy Orders.”  (CCC 1547). 

Many Christian traditions maintain some type of ordination.  So how does ordination in your tradition resonate or not resonate with a theology of the Levitial Priesthood and a Christian response suggested above?

I think this will be my final post pertaining to my first course, Introduction to the Old Testament.  If there is any area you’d like me to pursue further, let me know!