One of the common complaints that I've heard about the more liturgical church traditions is that there is an emphasis on the priest or pastor leading, representing the congregation to God and representing God to the congregation. Is this not, however, what we see in Deuteronomy 18.15-19? Here we see that it was good and right that the people of Israel would want a mediator between themselves and God because they were afraid to face God's holiness.
The priesthood in the Old Testament is foreshadowing the priesthood of Christ in the New Testament. Likewise, in the age of the Church, we still have those who look back to our Lord and Savior. They make prayers on the behalf of all the saints. Those prayers are traditionally called "collects" as they serve to gather together the needs of all the people and bring them before the Lord. The pastor proclaims the Word of God, including our Lord's forgiveness for the sin we confess. This is God speaking to his people through the human messenger.
Again and again in Church practice we see people looking forward or backward to Christ, the true Mediator between God and man. While this in no way excuses every believer from faithful prayer, true confession, and diligent service, it does remind the believer that he does not stand on his own. He can look to the true Mediator, Christ the Lord, who has stood between sinful man and the holy God, redeeming and guarding his people so they would not perish.
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