A pregnant quote:There is an inexorable connection between the apostolic and the priestly. There has been no neglect in our thinking of things apostolic, but there is a conspicuous lack of awareness of things priestly. We might attempt some fulfillment of other ministries and callings without the necessity of having a high-priestly center, although I doubt that, but there is something about apostolic that is eternally joined to the high-priestly. That which is expressed in the heavenly calling of Jesus, and indeed that which makes it heavenly, is, of necessity, part of our calling as well. Until God shall inspire and restore in us a true sense of priestliness, we will not be partaking in a calling that is heavenly. The word ‘heavenly’ does not refer to something spatial, but to a mindset, a mentality, or a mode of being. It is a particular character of something so hard to define, but when you encounter it, when something of it is wafted over you, or communicated to you, you will know it. If priestliness is just a fanciful designation that has a clouded meaning, then that means that our priestliness is equally as clouded. The world is destitute of the sense of things heavenly for the lack of priests who are able to bring that dimension of reality. In fact, another synonym for heaven is reality. Whatever reality is, then that is heaven. It takes even a priestly mentality to sense that, and to feel for that, and a priestly ministry to introduce that in a world that is inhospitable to heaven. Earth resists heavenly things, and yet mankind languishes for the lack of priests.For a long time, I had considered the teaching on the priestly garments and nomenclature pertaining to priesthood to be quite dull. But I am now convinced that there is an eternal weight of glory in all the things that pertain to priesthood. Priestliness must both precede and accompany the apostolic walk. We urgently need God to breathe upon us the spirit of true priesthood, and to touch and transform every aspect of our lives, our walk, and our ministry. There is a requirement to minister unto God before one ministers to men. If we lack the sense of the sacredness of God, which is to be found only in the holy place, by those who have the posture of the priest, that is to say, prostrated as a dead man before Him, then there is going to be something brittle, something lacking, and something plastic in the ministry we bring. There is a cry of God for the restoration of priesthood that alone will save us from the superficial demonstrations that are ostensibly performed in His Name.Chapter 1Apostolic FoundationsArt Katz
