Imagine a young pastor graduating from Bible college. He is sent to take over the running of a church in a regional city, and once he arrives he quickly announces that the resumption of Sunday morning services.

That first Sunday morning no one shows up except the young pastor. He leads the worship, he does communion and he speaks the message. The next Sunday, the exact same thing happens. The young pastor knows something is missing, and notifies the leadership of his denomination, who quickly arrange to send him 9 other pastors.

Now each Sunday, the 10 young pastors gather, with each one taking turns to preach, lead worship and do the announcements.

Over time they get used to the status quo. “This is church”, they tell themselves week after week as they gather.

What is wrong with this story? What is missing? Obviously, the pastors need a congregation. This is after all the whole point of their training. They weren’t trained simply to preach at each other, but to minister to a congregation and together with the congregation minister to God

The Bible calls us “a kingdom of priests”. This means that you and I are all called to the priesthood, and like these young pastors, we too go through preparation to get ready for this weighty assignment.

But if every believer is a priest, then where is our congregation? Or are we just meant to preach at each other?

Unfortunately, many believers have got used to a status quo that has something seriously missing.

We are priests who act unaware of the congregation we are called to serve. This congregation is not primarily our fellow believers inside our church buildings, but rather those who are outside. And like priests we are responsible for them. We are to intercede for them, to pray for God’s mercy in their lives. We are to connect with them, to show them God’s love in action. To sit with them as they go through hard times, to comfort and console them in seasons of grief. As priests, we are custodians of God’s truth, which we are to share with them and teach, always pointing them to God.

How would the Church look if all of us took our roles as priests seriously?

What would it look like if the army of believers were all mobilised to serve their communities for the Lord? There is a massive “congregation” out there, with huge needs. They don’t know it yet, but in reality they are all just waiting for the priests to arrive and fulfil their God-given mandate within the community .