Sundays are special. For as long as I can remember, Sunday morning has been the highlight of my week. Now, maybe it was the box of doughnuts that Mrs. Rieman brought to Sunday School Hour. That didn’t hurt, but even in my younger years I found Sunday mornings to be a time that was special because I experienced God in a different way and I got to see people I really considered to be family. Our spiritual family should be dear to us. George Hebert’s poem captures it well.
The Sundays of a man’s life,
Threaded together on time’s string
Make bracelets to adorn the wife
of the eternal glorious king
On Sundays heave’s gate stands ope
Blessings are plentiful and rife
more plentiful than Hope
(From George Herbert “Sundays”)
The Rev. Gene Smercina (who baptized Fr. Sean)
I’ve honestly never understood people who struggle to come weekly to Church. But I think this is largely due to the protection of the hand of God. With one notable exception, I have always had faithful priests (presbyters) who were “fathers in God” teaching me and shepherding me. That is really kind of amazing when compared with the news filled with all sorts of men who are not only unfaithful, but sometimes downright wicked. But the reality is that there are a great many flawed and yet honorable men serving the Lord this way.
In I Peter, Chapter 5 the Apostle Peter teaches the Church about the priestly ministry. Bibles use the word “elder” for some reason, but the Greek word is Πρεσβυτέρους (Presbyters) which becomes “priest” in English. The Apostle Peter invokes the model of Jesus as the shepherd as the gold standard (1 Pt.5:4) but just before that writes:
“Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those win your charge but being examples to the flock” (I Pt. 5:1-4, ESV).
When you examine this and compare it with his instructions to the requirements in I Timothy 3 for deacons and bishops you find enormous overlap. This is intentional. Households are a gift from God and what He sees as good leadership is consistent for the Church or the home - a fact that is overtly stated.
2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. (I Tim.3:2-6)
You can also compare this with the various instructions to husbands and fathers in the Epistles written by St. Paul. Ephesians 5-6 is helpful in understanding how the Apostle Peter views both the role of a presbyter and the role of a layperson under his care. There is a sacred trust between husbands and wives, fathers and children and the presbyters and those younger in the Faith (Clergy and Laity). Peter speaks of those younger being subject to their elders. Just like in a good marriage relationship this structure is about leadership and love.
Like the husband and father must lead their households firmly, lovingly and humbly in service to God, so it is the role of the spiritual father (a presbyter or priest) to lead those “younger” than him in the faith. This is a sacred trust. The Apostle Peter spends most of the time instructing his “fellow presbyters” (vs. 1) because he understands the effect of good fathers and bad fathers on their children. The Church must do her best to ensure that only good fathers are allowed such oversight. When we follow God’s ways we are blessed. A lifetimes of Sundays hang in the balance. The entire sermon is below.