Priesthood & the Laity- 19th November 2000

THERE will always be a captain to a ship. There shall always be a governing will or entity prevailing over an action. The mere appearance of a life which has collected, commands a commander - it summons according to vacuumous need; it makes a position through this law of default.

Of course, most often it is that an egoic body or angelic presence can by their sheer authority, draw together around them the necessary corporate constitutions they need for incarnation or for cosmic presentation. But the opposite is also true regarding the group life of men who form communities and consolidations, that any such collective will create a need for a presiding authoritative presence which is not participant as an equal, but becomes the very law of that collective, determining their future identity.

This is observable fact. You may watch a crowd disperse when the speaker has gone, a cult will dissolve when its charismatic head has left the body (unless an entity has taken its place), a successful business collapse when the entrepreneur has abandoned; and a committee shall be inevitably controlled by that one strong person, regardless of their being a vote.

The working principle itself in this is standard to nature. There will always be a collective which gathers around an intelligent nucleus that determines the very nature of that life of that collective, wherever men collect together and form an ensemble. This natural law will call for the same intelligent nucleus, but it will not necessarily have some inherent discretion or discernment as to what or whom would be preferable. Most often as not, the placement is made as abruptly as the position is available, and they are vulnerable to every passing 'captain' until that position is filled.

Of course it is most usual that such a 'captain' has begun and authorized a group initially, with the outcome being that said grouping is then quite comfortably neutral to any other imposing presence after that. This is observable in folk who swear allegiance to sporting teams: once their identity is given to one, they find it almost impossible to go over to another and defend/support any other identity.

And so we have now two standard laws which are applicable to collectives of men:

1. A body requires a head.
2. Once a body has a head, it does not require another.

Aside from this captain being human there is also the possibility and practice of associated elemental beings feeding from and subsequently taking over as chief authority. This is common also. The elemental is characterized and made strong by the community and later becomes a surrogate god to them … in narcissistic praise the stronghold of identity is assured.

Now when it comes to the priesthood we find a variation to this ruling, for it is that the honest priest defers his authority on to a higher one - this by definition, is what he does.

In Christian circles where there is such a priest, the community is in the unusual position of being free from the strangulation that may well inter their holy profits otherwise. The priest in his positioning is both powerful and humble, requiring that he is but a token authority which the focus and activity can continue to assemble around. But remarkably he is not only this either. Through him our Christ can actually become the presiding Presence, whereas without him, in such a community, it is very likely that there will be another instead of Him, one which blocks and confuses the whole holy experience.

Now, not to confuse matters here, but it must be said that eventually all men and women shall become as priests unto themselves - this is certain. But also, this cannot be effected, this divine authority ('divine' meaning in this context that we seek out the higher authority: to divine, to determine) this cannot be occasioned if we do not assume that authority within ourselves for ourselves. This is a very important position of ego which is being talked about here. It is not fainthearted or loosely committed to, but decided and seen, and the very reason we maintain that individuality needs be upheld, respected and worked hard for.

The difficulty and impossibility therefore, of laity-based organizations, which although Christian have no authoritative priest central and determining, is that assuredly the group will become very closed upon itself in accordance with the similar identity of all other non-Christian groups. The doorway to our Christ has been closed and an arrogance will prevail which becomes no more than a club with routines and rituals it lives to uphold.

This is proven in the controlling laws. Regardless of the excuses men make or the explanations they adhere to, let us say this most firmly: Christ loves us in FREEDOM. And any man or any group which creates controlling laws, which presumes to make men oblige collectively is a creation determined by either a man or an entity but not of CHRIST.

You cannot bring men to Christ through subjugation. This is what has made Him, as our Captain, so very, very different to all! How important this is. It is not just a point of contrast between one religious group and another in their methods of worship. This is crux and criterion for Christianity in toto.

Please understand that we are not endeavoring to be offensive when we call for such discrimination. For herein is the subject of Love itself as well. Love cannot be commissioned; it cannot be compelled, nor demanded. Love has nothing to do with the authority as described above in relation to men; and so we come now to the third most standard law:

3. That the body requires a heart.

Marriage, for example, is not defined or bound by law. Of course a marriage within the state (granted and recognized by men) is of law. But a marriage which is witnessed by Christ is only won through freedom and true love. Laws and compulsion, obligation and other such praiseworthy behaviors are separate to the issue of true marriage.

For too long the Church has been reconciled to defeat and failure. It has run its course, like a tired worn marriage which has emptied out its life and given over to but ritual and routine. This will not sustain its congregation, or its priest, and it can happen also that even with a priest in place he is unable to be responsive to Christ, and it is not guaranteed that he will be able to be effective in his role.

Whilst there have been difficulties when a priest has begun to take the devotions of his collective to himself, there can also be the concern when a very humble priest actually needs to assume more authority than he has done and be firmer amongst his own. For the will of another may contest him (materially or spiritually) and begin to block his good work by their assertive presence. He can remedy this by seeking out such conflicting influences, praying to uphold his position with integrity, and then egoically displaying his authority to the relevant contesting forces. These contesting forces are prevalent where good work is realized - unfortunately. Yet he shall have the strength required once he assumes his authority to be a responsibility in crisis. Crisis will become Christus! (It is not easy being priest!)

Regardless of our interrelationships and our alliances with this or that community of identity, we are thankfully always free, in truth, in Christ. This is a wonderful paradox.

Moment to moment we are free. No man is bound to any other or any entity or lesser god - whether they be inflicted with prejudice, pledged to Satan or crippled with some apoplexy of the mind. All are free, and let no man say otherwise.