In ancient cultures, including Judaism, it was assumed that there was always one who would stand between the people and God – one who would speak in God’s behalf, and who would offer sacrifices for the people and speak to God in their behalf. The possessor of this office had to be someone special, someone with spotless credentials, someone who could stand in the presence of God to plead the peoples'case. Yet Jeremiah, the prophet, declared that someday it would not be so. some day, he said, every man, woman and child, the old and young alike, would know God. They would not need a priest or prophet. They would not need someone to stand between them and God. God would address them directly, and they would all know God, from the least of them to the greatest.

We are in that day. Hebrews says we have a high priest in the heavens who stands before God, night and day, pleading our cause, so we have no need of an earthly priest. Jesus is, our intercessor and has placed his Spirit within us, to confirm us in our faith and to teach us.

Today we are talking about ministry. We’ve talked about some other great doctrines of the faith, and there are more we certainly could add. But I’ve chosen this one today because it flows from last week’s discussion of the sacraments, and speaks to how Christians live in the world.

The first thing I need to say about ministry is perhaps the most important and the most radical: we are all ministers by virtue of our baptism. When you were baptized, you not only became a Christian and a member of the church, you not only were received as God'’ child, you not only received the gift of the Holy Spirit, but you also were ordained into ministry. When you were given the gift of the Spirit, along with that you were given the spiritual gifts that Paul talks about in Romans and First Corinthians. As you use those gifts, you are expressing your ministry. You may use them well, or not at all; you may be a good or poor minister – but you are one of the ministers of this congregation, just as I am. You don’t need me to be your hotline to God – his Spirit is also in you. All you have to do is talk directly to him, in your prayers. You don’t need me to forgive you – you can forgive one another. You don’t need me to make sacrifices for you – the scriptures say that the sacrifice God desires is a contrite heart – your own heart. You are priests to one another, interceeding through your prayers on one another’s behalf, lifting your prayers on one another’s behalf to the throne of God’s grace. You have no need of a prophet, one to speak God’s word to you – God’s Word dwells in your heart, and you can share it with one another, encouraging and building one another up, as the writer of Hebrews says.

Which means that the ground is level at the foot of the cross, by virtue of our baptism. We each are sinners, each saved by grace, each gifted by the Spirit, each capable of standing before God by virtue of His great gift to us.

We can go so far as to say that any member of the body can baptize or perform other pastoral duties. It is for the sake of good order in the church, Luther says, that God calls people out for special ministries, as Paul goes on to say in 1 Corinthians 12:28:

Then why do you need a preacher? You could save a little money without me! Mine is one of those special ministries, those special offices in the church. As a pastor, you have called me to preach, teach, and administer the sacraments. My ordination is not a special "grace" given to me, but a special calling within the church to an office. In the old ALC it was often described as a "functional" office, because the pastor serves a function within the congregation – of course, no only likes to be called just a functionary, so they dropped that language.

The idea, however, is important to remember. It used to be that only pastors in congregations could vote at assemblies, because their function was to represent their congregations. Retired pastors and chaplains didn'’ have that opportunity, because they didn’t represent congregations. The Bishop’s power was seen as deriving also from the congregation, so they didn’t have much power themselves. Today these are hot topics at synod conventions and in the seminaries of the church, though they probably don’t affect the daily life of the members of the church too much.

What is important to the lives of people in the pews – to you – is understanding your calling as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I attended a pastor’s retreat up in Pennsylvania a few years ago where the topic was the ministry of God’s people. The bishop talked in great length about the pastoral ministry and its importance. Finally someone asked him about the ministry of the laity. He said, "let them sweep the walks." I was happy that he was retired. That kind of thought was not worthy of his office of of the Lord.

God doesn’t call everyone to the pastoral office – thankfully! I love what I do. If you’ve been called to be a pastor, it’s the greatest job in the world. If you haven’t been called, however, it’s probably one of the worst. Not everyone is called to be a pastor.

But everyone is called to ministry. We’ve got some great ones here. Candi, my assistant, is a wonderful minister. I couldn’t do what she does – organizing, dealing with so many people – including a rotten boss - making sure things get done on time. She has so many wonderful gifts that build this church and its members. Laurna is another one – she has shown her leadership skills in the council, and took the choir and built it into one of the strongest ministries in the church. Her gifts have made a wonderful contribution to our congregation. Nancy blows me away with her talents – she constantly amazes me, and is one of the people I go to when I need someone to bounce an idea off of. Ben and Bonnie both have terrific gifts to share with our youth. The kids know that they are genuine with them, and honest, and that they care deeply for them. Carol and the the afterschool program, and Ed before her – very different people and different approaches, but both wonderful in what they have accomplished with our neighborhood kids. The list could go on and on – I haven’t even scratched the surface. Carlton and the Property Committee, Hank and the Building Program. Our musicians, our council, the people who work with scouts, in the committees, and on and on.

That includes you. The fact is that God has given everyone here a place in his ministry. He has given you more talents and gifts than you will ever be able to use in your time here on earth – because he has built you, not for seventy or eighty or ninety years – but for eternity. There is an eternity’s worth of gifts in you just itching to be set free! And you don’t have to wait for me, or for some other official representative of the church, to tell you to use them. If you don’t use them, if you don’t discover them, it’s no one’s fault but your own. You have been given an eternity’s worth of gifts, and have been called by virtue of your baptism to use them to minister in Jesus’ name. I don’t know about you – but that thought gets me going! It is exciting!

The purpose of the church, as the writer of Hebrews says in chapter eleven, is to encourage one another and build one another up in faith. Paul says we are to use our gifts to help build others in their gifts, so that the whole church may be built into the figure of Christ.

Today is April Fools Day. But this is no joke. What God says, he does. What he promises, he delivers. He calls us to be fools for Christ, to give ourselves lavishly, ourlandishly, in love for one another. He calls us to spend our gifts as if there were no end to them, ministering as Christ himself to one another.

Luther was once asked what the highest calling in the church was: a priest, a nun, a bishop, or a pope? He replied that the highest calling was to be a mother. Others may do important things. But a mother forms the soul of another human being. What higher calling could there be than that? Yours is the highest calling. Higher than a pastor, bishop or pope. Because in you, people meet the Eternal Word in human flesh. In you they are ministered to with the very hands of Christ. In you they meet the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, and they can be transformed by your faithful witness.

May God’s Spirit work in and through you to heal, reconcile, and proclaim Good News to the world he loves. May he give you faith and the strength to complete his will in you. May you be faithful to your high calling as a Minister of Jesus Christ. And may the peace of God, which passes all human understanding, keep your mind and heart in Christ Jesus our Lord.