Priesthood of all

Tuesday September 11th, Philemon: 10-14 While here in jail, I've fathered a child, so to speak. And here he is, hand-carrying this letter—Onesimus! He was useless to you before; now he's useful to both of us. I'm sending him back to you, but it feels like I'm cutting off my right arm in doing so. I wanted in the worst way to keep him here as your stand-in to help out while I'm in jail for the Message. But I didn't want to do anything behind your back, make you do a good deed that you hadn't willingly agreed to. First things first, Paul did not really father a child, in modern terms, he mentored a leader. While on Sabbatical, our congregation is taking care of all the duties, leading worship, sharing the message, leading the singing, serving the meal and even a baptism. In listening to the services on line, I sometimes feel like I have fathered a child. It is wonderful and exciting to listen to all this happening. When the people of God step up, wonderful things happen and the spirit is alive and full in the congregation. In this text, even Paul, in jail, could anticipate the joy and excitement of the congregation. Welcome to the priesthood of all believers.