Spiritual authority will prevail

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/022217.cfm
1 Peter 5:1-4
Matthew 16:13-19

After several decades of constant denunciation of the priest’s role and his subsequent authority — or “presbyters” as Peter calls them, and “Elders” as the Evangelicals understand the Greek — we may be finally entering the possibility for a new age of common sense and respect for Church leadership. 

We only have to humble ourselves, says our God. He will rearrange authority to be there for us, even as the world seemingly tears apart our priests, presbyters, and elders. It is their suffering, though, that exemplifies and elevates the entire suffering mission of Christ. “Suffer for a little while.” Suffering is not forever.

I don’t have any convincing evidence which supports an upcoming increase in God providing blessed and holy spiritual authority. Remnants of damaged and denigrated spiritual authority still suffer everywhere on the globe. Elimination of respect for spiritual authority is still going on. My hope, and any prescience about, an upcoming renewal for spiritual leadership deals more with “mounting” evidence than any thing else. 

First, consider the inevitable swing of change that takes place in life. That one rule, all by itself, suggests that a shift is on the horizon for a return to respect for spiritual authority. If, in other words, we are reaching an unequaled apex of disrespect for spiritual authority, then we are ready for a reversal. 

Second, spiritual authority is in a steep decline due to a ridiculous notion from the least qualified. I say ridiculous, because the objection to priests, presbyters and elders makes no sense. The objection is that no leaders have a right to spiritual authority over anyone. Those who deny that any person can be in a position of spiritual authority, though, automatically eliminate themselves from holding any authority regarding things spiritual. Don't listen to them.

“No one has spiritual authority over me!” says the denier. That cry would obviously include themselves. To say that, “I am the only person who has spiritual authority over myself,” doesn’t abide the accepted definition of authority. Authority deals with boundaries outside of ourselves which we should not cross. Some authority, then, must set boundaries, and then place authorities who sit in office among us. The sentence by such a denier of authority in all aspects should simply admit their foolishness by proclaiming, “No one has spiritual authority over me, including myself!”

Consequently, such people have no authority to speak about spiritual authority. They and their claim are both ridiculous. What else can be true? The more people who insist upon this philosophy, the more we can weed out an entire group of folks who do not count as spiritual authorities.

Whether fairly or unfairly, the priests and pastors of Church communities have taken a severe beating simply for their existence as leaders of faith. The public attacks upon spiritual leadership have been thorough. Today, the secular world’s grip on government control at every level fully denies millenniums of logic that spiritual lives belong under human authority. Spiritual folks no longer hold any government roles, and except for inaugurations and funerals, spiritual leaders gather folks together purely for worship and fellowship among believers.

The good news? That’s perfectly acceptable. Worship and fellowship are where we need spiritual authorities. The worlds of commerce, governance, leisure, and travel no longer include spiritual authorities, and no longer battle over the place and position for chaplains, clerics, bishops, reverends, and ministers of faith. Since their spiritual domains are outside of secular authority, those who rule both the lands and the seas ignore spiritual power and authority altogether. Oddly, that will be of great benefit to believers.

Most mission statements and organizational objectives have been stripped of any reference to divinity and God in either the workplace or the leisure space. The world functions without care for what God thinks, because God (in effect) has no authority over work or leisure. If that isn’t an apex of denigration of spiritual authority itself, I don’t know what else would describe it.

The obvious question, then, is who picks these spiritual authorities that lead a fellowship of believers in their worship and gatherings? More good news here. Government and commerce no longer care, nor desire, to be involved. Spiritual authority doesn’t mean anything to them any more. The task is left entirely up to God, now.

In the meantime, there are some odd vestiges of rankled folks still upset with the remnants of spiritual leaders and the little bit of domain they do have. These angry birds and their funding are fading away, because the problem of spiritual authorities competing with any other authority is no longer a real problem. After successfully feasting upon the publicly advertised failures of priest/presbyter/elder leadership in everything from sexual perversity to criminal financial activity, angry anti-presbyter folks have nothing more to complain about. The public case has been made, and appropriate convictions have been applied, to all sorts of sinful leadership — whether real or imagined. 

In addition, now that it’s been established that the spiritual authorities are disrobed, God also has little if any authority that upsets non-believers. That means that a connection between God and spiritual authorities is thought to be assigned only to those who are believers. That’s great! If human spiritual authorities have no secular power, and if God consequently no longer has representatives of power in the secular space, then the believers and their own authorities are thought to be integrally tied together. Granted, this is a negative direction toward truth, but it does connect God and spiritual authorities uniquely and symbiotically together.

With spiritual leaders and God himself now distanced from the daily operations of almost every aspect of life, we have another conclusion to make. Spiritual leaders are no longer a threat to the organized and capitalized world. Both the issue of spiritual authority and the presbyters themselves no longer matter to those in power of non-spiritual things.

By separating the spiritual realm from the secular realm, the spiritual realm is codified as existent and free to operate on its own. That makes spirituality a concrete function, albeit powerless, in secular things. Without spiritual authority recognized as powerful in the many operative portions of life faulty substitutes have become prevalent. We have a non-believer's fascination with zombies, aliens, demons, and witches, confirming that spirituality has an undeniable, and perhaps unfortunate, place in the human psyche. As these fantasy-based spiritualities proliferate, a hunger will ultimately surface for the true spiritual power that sources from a good God, rather than poor, nefarious, and even silly substitutes. Believers have always been approached by curious and eager folks searching for God. The ranks of interested truth seekers have always knocked at the doors of believers. More will be coming forth.

Spirituality, firmly present in the being of humans, grows in interest as investigations and discourse return folks to seeking God. The role of the importance of the elder will return, which will then call up the need for the presbyter to speak with authority as anointed ones. The true believers will again stand out, I believe. In our high octane pathways of communication, the Word will get out. 

And that’s why Peter tells us about the necessary role for presbyters in the Church.

Peter states the required disciplines of our pastors, priests and elders. They first are to share the responsibilities of their office as a form of witness of Christ’s suffering. Next, they are to refrain from all avarice which will cancel any respect of the office. And, then, they are to steer clear of dominating a faith community in order that the community operates from a place of service. These three things, it could be argued, have been compromised by spiritual leaders of all sorts on a regular cycle of sinfulness since the time of Jesus’ ascension. Those spiritual leaders who fail to stand up to these three principles of leadership have surely contributed to the world’s disgust and disregard, and therefore disrespect. Conversely, those faithful to these principles attract new and returning believers like bees to nectar. Holiness is supremely attractive.

These principles are not advice, but necessary and operative boundaries for an office that has a clear place in human/divine community life. Those who are anointed as spiritual leaders know these three things at their rootedness due to the scriptures themselves, and the revelatory history of the Church.

The Christian community has an abiding history, legacy, and immortal nature of spiritual authority. It's suffering is its witness. The source of all spiritual authority reflects the active hand of God upon a community, wherein God stands up its leaders, and anoints them. It’s the way God works. The truth of scripture, which continually surprises those of us who are old enough to watch it track with reality, solves the problem of the removal of spiritual authority in the world by God putting elders, presbyters and priests back into our lives. Scripture-based leaders consistent with the authority rooted in the apostles represent Jesus Christ himself, with their suffering and loving service. They remarkably and courageously strive to be holy.  

God cares deeply about spiritual authority, and knows how to win over the heart and soul of creation. The next verses, following today's section of 1 Peter, tell the tale:

“So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you. Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for [someone] to devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your fellow believers throughout the world undergo the same sufferings. The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ [Jesus] will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little. To him be dominion forever. Amen.”

1 Peter 5:6–11