Everyone is a priest
late night service
Thanks to God’s grace, my husband, Pastor Wang Daqing, and I came to the United States for graduate school in 1977 to serve in the church in Phoenix, Arizona for more than twenty years and experience God’s faithfulness and love. Seeing God raising up His children to serve His kingdom in that place where there are not many Chinese people, and growing from a fellowship of more than ten people to a church of about 600 people, I deeply feel that He is really opening a way in the wilderness. The true god who creates rivers in the desert.
Due to technological and economic development, Arizona has attracted many new immigrants to move in, and there are also an increasing number of international students. Because of the brothers and sisters’ concerted service, the church strives to spread the gospel on campus and in high-tech workplaces, and has gradually developed into the largest church in Arizona.
In the 1990s, many evangelical friends who worked in the restaurant industry came to the church, and the congregation, which was originally all white-collar workers and men from science and engineering, suddenly had many blue-collar workers. Due to practical pastoral needs, the Spiritual Food Fellowship was established and meets every Tuesday from 10:00 pm to 12:00 midnight. Many brothers and sisters are involved.
Most of these friends who work in restaurants need transportation, and their daily schedule is only between the restaurant and the staff dormitory. In addition, the working hours are very long, the income is meager, and there is basically no leisure and entertainment. They sometimes join fortune-making syndicates in Las Vegas on weekends and end up losing most of their money. To this end, fellow members of the fellowship donated money to rent tour buses and organize tour groups to scenic spots such as the Grand Canyon to take these migrant workers away from home to enjoy the mountains and rivers. In this way, because of the love of the brothers and sisters, many evangelical friends decided to believe in the Lord, and the fellowship grew from a few to hundreds of people.
practical service
In 2000, in order to support my husband's burden of full-time ministry, I gave up my beloved teaching job, moved out of my home of 23 years, and came to Silicon Valley to be equipped in the seminary with my husband. In 2002, God led us to serve the first Christ Home in the Bay Area of Northern California for about 20 years. Thank God, in the church shepherding, we have met many good brothers and sisters who love God, love people, and do their best to spread the gospel. This also encourages us to always have the heart of being fathers and mothers, to care for and shepherd the lambs God has given us.
The church is located at the headquarters of the most cutting-edge technology companies, such as Google, Facebook, Apple, LinkedIn, Yahoo, etc.; the famous Stanford University is nearby, plus some top drug research and development companies. Many of the brothers and sisters in the church have Ph.D. degrees from prestigious Ivy League schools and are elites from all over the world. Pastoral colleagues design worship and teaching based on this need.
Later, many gospel friends came to the church to work as nannies and decorators. It was difficult to adapt to the church culture at that time. We may find some members who seem to be inappropriate in any group or fellowship. Perhaps because of their professional backgrounds and the way they behave, they seem incompatible with other brothers and sisters.
At that time, the church held English conversation classes on Sunday afternoons. In addition to learning English, it also actually helped these new immigrants solve life problems, such as transportation, taking driver's license exams, finding jobs, going to the hospital, assisting in filling out various forms, etc. The service was very time-consuming and labor-intensive, but I persisted for several years and bore many gospel fruits. Many brothers and sisters also participated in serving these gospel friends and enjoyed the joy of brothers living together in harmony.
Service in the cloud
2020 is a year full of challenges. The COVID-19 epidemic has affected the world, making the most fashionable decoration now colorful and various masks. During the period of home-based epidemic prevention, many people are depressed and uneasy, many people are unemployed and at home, and all church gatherings have been moved online. The wonderful thing is that the epidemic cannot isolate God’s love, and the preaching of the gospel cannot be hindered.
The Good News Christian Church where we currently serve has many gospel friends participating in online gatherings due to the enthusiastic invitations of brothers and sisters. Many of them have lost their jobs due to the epidemic, such as driving Uber, doing pedicures, massages, and catering services. There are also some who have difficulty attending regular church gatherings, such as decoration workers, nannies, elderly caretakers, etc. Now there are opportunities to participate in Zoom online Bible studies and YouTube online worship on Sundays. Online gatherings provide many people with opportunities to participate in church activities and fellowship. There are also many brothers and sisters who participate in preaching the gospel and serve as mysterious guests at gatherings, testifying to the power of the gospel with their lives. Within eight months of the online gathering, more than 20 people decided to believe in the Lord and experienced God’s miraculous deeds.
▲The priest is an honorable position chosen by God, serves before God, and becomes the mediator between God and man.
(Image Source:https://images.app.goo.gl/5NdrPdHNsosPiZpK8)
Everyone is a priest
"Behold, how good and wonderful it is for brothers to live together in peace! It is like the precious oil that was poured out on Aaron's head and ran down to his beard and down to the skirts of his clothes; like the dew of Hermon that fell on the tin the mountains; for there is the blessing commanded by the Lord, everlasting life." (Psalm 133)
This passage presents two images. First, Aaron was anointed as high priest, and precious oil was poured on his head. The priest is an honorable position chosen by God, serving before God, and becoming the mediator between God and man.
In fact, every believer is a priest. After receiving salvation, he not only reconciles himself to God, but also leads others to reconcile with God. Indeed, perhaps not everyone can lead Bible studies and Sunday school; not everyone is good at leading hymns and understanding; and not everyone is suitable for visiting and caring. However, preaching the gospel is God’s great commission to everyone.
Preaching the gospel can not be a burden, but a beautiful thing of glory and joy; preaching the gospel should become a way of life, as natural as eating, brushing teeth, sleeping, and breathing. Get up, eat breakfast, and drive to and from get off work every day... This is life and something that must be done. Once you get used to it, there will be no pressure. As long as you regard evangelism as a part of life, not as a task or pressure, gradually evangelism will become a very joyful habit, and you will fulfill your role as a priest in helping people reconcile with God.
The second image is of the dew of Hermon falling on Mount Zion. Mount Zion is located south of Mount Hermon and is the location of the Temple in Jerusalem. The weather here is dry and hot, and the dew from Mount Hermon covers the earth like a thin layer of water curtain, making the nearby trees flourish and produce abundant products. Brothers living together in harmony is actually a life of sharing: God gives what Mount Hermon has to what Mount Zion does not have, sharing the resources from heaven so that everyone can be blessed together.
When members love each other and take practical actions to help, care for, build, and live a good and beautiful life, even in the most arid hardships, they can receive blessings from God. There are many brothers and sisters in the church with different backgrounds, cultures, talents, and temperaments. We are all different, but we are all loved. We are all different, but we are all part of the same body and connected to Christ. Even in our differences, we can still love each other, which enriches our lives and allows the world to recognize us as the Lord’s disciples.
▲Just like the dew from Mount Hermon nourishes the grass and trees, brothers living together in harmony share resources from heaven, making everyone blessed together.
May we, as priests, experience the goodness of living together in peace in the Lord and receive the blessing ordained by Jehovah, which is eternal life.
Cai Peifen, Canadian Campus Evangelism Association (Power to Change), China Internet Ministry Director (2002 to present). Responsible for editing and publishing "New Beauty" evangelical online magazine and online tutoring; columnist for "Bright Baby" on the global information network. Doctor of Ministry from Christian Theological Seminary in the United States.