The Priesthood Of All Believers

And the Gentiles who like to Lord down Tyranny on you.

The biggest difference between Catholics and the Protestants I have found is so obvious you may have missed it- it's in the authority structure.

Protestants don't have one Pope, they have lots of various denominations and within denominations lots of committees. The models of authority are either Episcopalian or Presbyterian generically, meaning Bishops in an episcopalian hierarchical structure or committees in a more democratic presbyterian structure (presbyteries) or a hybrid.

Why did this come about during the reformation? Why the revolt? Isn't more centralized governance just more efficient- didn't Christianity spread far and wide through the model of the Roman empire model (which is why priests in catholic circles still wear what looks like Roman aristocratic robes with ornate embroidery)

Scripturally it is clear that Jesus said - those Gentiles like to have Lords that rule, master --Lord tyrannically over you. Not so, shall it be for you. Not so for you. This admonition may be what is at the heart of the Vatican II reforms which is just the start of what should be ongoing reforms in this generation and the next.
When did he say this? He said this in response to that argument about whether the sons of Zebedee (his cousins-their mother was the Blessed Mother's sister) could sit at his right and left hand. Power struggles for a few upstarts who were trying to edge out Peter likely. Sorry fellas, we are not going to operate like that. Then the famous talk on the greatest of all is the servant of all. The greatest among you will be servants.

This is an empowerment from the bottom up more democratic model of authority. Just as the son of man didn't come to be served but to serve, you shall be servants and that is what will make you great. Not big titles, not big rich congregations, not what the pharisees did which made them like "white washed tombs full of dead men's bones" for all their hypocricy. The 'servant-leader' model was born- and it was really countercultural, then and now. Because what happens when people get constituencies or communities under their 'authority' they tend to be seduced by the power and act not out of servanthood but to preserve and augment power by building more followers, wealth, status, prestigue and everything that speaks to creating emperors. They build a distorted theology around it, and start worshipping their own image and naval gazing on their own history.

This is not what Jesus said to do. This is not what Jesus called his church to be- temporaral rulers who impress themselves with the tryannies of power to build for themselves kingdoms on earth. This is not a reflection of the Love that is God.
God is all, and pure, Love. Love. Love. Beginning and End. Alpha and Omega. Love.
Protestants believe in the Priesthood of ALL believers- who ALL have the power and authority to lay hands on the sick and heal them and raise them from the dead, to cast out demons in the name of Jesus and to be his hands serving in the world. We are all commissioned in that Great Commission, we are all through prayer given the private direct line of God. Mine is on speed dial.

And so what of the Eucharist that Roman Catholic Priests think that they have monopoly on to bring the actual body and blood of Christ into the world? Great for them. I happen to believe that is true. But it does not void or commute the priesthood of all believers to raise from the dead, to cast out demons in the name of Jesus and to be his hands serving in the world and baptize in the name of the Lord, going out to all the world. Any arrogance of the priesthood is therefore totally misplaced. Any exclusivity claim on the depth of the relationship with Christ by virtue of a roman collar is similarly misplaced. God speaks to whom he chooses and is not bound by educational resume or attire.

The God who created heaven and earth and everything in it is much much much bigger than a breadbox. Love is greater and more powerful than any food you ingest. It 'covers' a multitude of sins.

The theological meeting in the middle is somewhere in understanding theologically how off the rails each side may be in minimizing the significance of the other in claims of exclusivity of superior knowledge.
ANYONE who calls on the name of the Lord and does his will shall be saved. There certainly will be protestants in heaven. Whether they will be sitting at the right or left hand of the Throne of Grace is not now known.
What is now known is that
Peace and Justice cannot kiss if people are trotting nose in the air on their high horses. That's a collision waiting to be exploited by the darker principalities and powers of the air, who have successfully exploited it in the past.
Now can everyone please get over themselves and learn how to Love.