Salt and Light Need to Be Accessible!

5 Ephiphany  A     February 5, 2017          
Isaiah 58:1-9a, (9b-12)  Psalm 112:1-9  
1 Corinthians 2:1-11  Matt.5:13-20

Lectionary Link

The art of the Gospel literature is to make the reader believe that they are eye-witnesses of Jesus of Nazareth when he walked on this earth.  But the literary reality of the Gospels is that were written to help the different communities of the Jesus Movement cope, live, thrive, evangelize in the cities of the Roman Empire.  This represents the decades until about 120 A.D./ C.E.   Tiberius was Caesar when Jesus died and after Tiberius until the year 120, he was succeeded by Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian, Titus, Domitian, Nerva, Trajan and Hadrian.  While the Gospels were coming to their final writings, the early Christians lived under twelve Caesars.  Each Caesar was different in levels of tolerance for minority religious groups.  And each location in the Roman Empire had its own local ruling authorities who ruled on behalf of the Caesars.  

I would submit to you that the Sermon on the Mount was an oracle of Christ given for the communities living under the various Caesars decades after Jesus, rather than for the immediate followers of Jesus, even though some of his immediate followers lived and were continuing leaders of the early churches.

What were the strategies for living within the Empire if one did not worship the Emperor as a god and if one has joined a community that lives with having experiences of the Risen Christ?

One could look at the witness of the minority community of the Jews.  How did they live within the Empire?  One could say they lived more as the Amish live now in our society.  They lived a segregated and cloistered life with outward and visible markers of their identity.  They had dietary rules, health rules, clothing rules.  Their clothing rules would not be unlike the presence of Islamic women wearing burkas and hijabs in countries where Muslims are a minority.  Hijab wearers get criticized for not blending into Western society.  On the other hand, a person who wears a cross does not get criticized for marking himself or herself as a Christian.  Why?  Because where Christians are in a majority, a cross does not stand out as belonging to an "outsider."

In the words of the oracle of Jesus in those early communities, Jesus said that embracing the religious laws had to exceed the ways in which the scribes and Pharisees practiced rules in the Jewish community.  How so?  If the ritual rules of purity are elevated to the primary rules to distinguish a Jewish person from all others in Roman Society then one is not likely to have any impact in the conversion of the people in the Roman Society.  For coping and evangelizing within Roman society required the adaption of the great principles of the law in a way that they would find correspondences in the lives of Roman Empire citizenry.  The Christians were willing to compromise the Jewish purity rituals for what they regarded to be the great principle of the Holy Spirit being present in the life of people.   St. Paul and others dispensed with eat kosher diets, wearing veils and circumcision.  St. Paul was motivated by the success of the presence of God's Spirit within people of the Roman Empire.  He gave up maintaining the outer signs of Jewish separatism.  As such Christian had a strategy for converting the Roman Empire; the Jews of the synagogue had no interest in converting the Roman citizenry.  In this way, the righteousness of Christian had to exceed the practice of the scribes and Pharisees.  It had to be different.  Why?  The goal of Christians was converting everyone to the risen Christ.  The law of making God accessible to everyone was the greater fulfillment of the law.

Can you know what salt can do to your food if you never try it?  "I think that we'll put salt shakers on the table but not allow people to use it."  You don't know how salt will taste on food unless salt is allowed on your food.  So don't segregate salt from your food if you want the effects of its taste.  If the Jews in the synagogue lived segregated lives because of their purity laws, how could the Roman citizenry know the value of living by the great Torah?  The Risen Christ and the Holy Spirit created Christians as salt to go with life, all life, life in Palestine, life in Ephesus, life in Rome and everywhere.  Christians, if you are salt, don't keep yourself away from being the distinctive taste and flavor of an otherwise ordinary life.  Don't segregate your good news and good practice from the world.  And I would say to us as Episcopalians: Don't segregate the Episcopal version of the Gospel from people in this world.  We have a unique way to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to postmodern people in our world.  We do not have to segregate ourselves like Amish in Luddite practices; we can be a salty influence in a very up-to-date manner in today's world.  We don't have to be nostalgic about how good the good 'ol days were; we can know the converting relevance of the Risen Christ in new ways in new times today.

The oracle of Christ in the early church also informed the church that they would not convert the Roman Empire if they kept all of their wisdom locked up in buildings.  You have to go the synagogue to receive the light of the Torah.  You have to go into the church meeting place behind closed doors to hear about the Risen Christ and the receive the knowledge of the Holy Spirit.  No.  You don't light a candle in order to place it under a bushel basket.  If people are traveling at night, you want them to see the lights of the city so they know what direction to go towards.  If Pavarotti had said, "I'm going to bless this world with my singing by singing only in the shower," how would this world ever have been blessed by his singing?  We can treat the practice of our Episcopal faith like an exclusive party that meets in a phone booth but then how can we get out our good news for the people who need to discover the fellowship which we have to offer?

The law of God does not mean elevating minor rules of segregation as the most important laws of all.  The Amish aren't converting anyone except their own family members and they don't care about us, though we'd all love to take one of those horse buggies for a ride.   The Shakers have left us nice furniture but they have died out as a community of celibates, since they did not even have births of new members.  The oracle of Christ within the early Church was this: Don't segregate yourselves in the Roman Empire like has been in the practice of the Jews; if you do so you will only have influence within your own ethnic gatherings. 

Today, opera lovers are glad Pavarotti did not limit his singing to the showers.  People who enjoy eating are glad that we have salt.  People who experience darkness are very glad when light is not kept from us.

We live in different times today with different Empire conditions.  Let us be true to the salt of Christianity, the Risen Christ and the Holy Spirit in our lives.  Let us share our very best good news, our best life practices as light to those who live in the kinds of darkness of uninspired lives.  We are not to do the equivalent of  elevating the rules of baseball to having greater importance than the U.S. Constitution.  Let us not elevate some of our traditions of the Episcopal Church to the point of excluding people from the greater welcome to the table of the Lord and to our fellowship.

The Sermon on the Mount helped the early Christians cope with the varying conditions of the Roman Empire but not by segregating the very best of the Gospel message from the Roman Citizens.  The Sermon on the Mount is proof that early Christians did not keep the tasty salt of the Good News from the tables of the citizens of the Roman Empire.  The Sermon on the Mount is proof that a new light was not  meant only for Christian household.  The light was shared with all. 

How is a law fulfilled?  A law is not valid or fulfilled unless it is promulgated and accessible to all.  The Gospel law is not fulfilled until it is accessible and shared with all.  Let us live in this Sermon of the Mount tradition by being salt and light Christians in our world by adding the insights and the tastiness of Christ to this world.  Let us make sure that we help fulfill the law of God by making it accessible to all.   Amen.

Sunday School, February 5, 2017 5 Epiphany A

Sunday School, February 5, 2017    5 Epiphany A

Themes:  Salt, light and laws

Discuss with the children salt.

Do you like salt?

Why do you like salt?

Can you eat just salt alone?  Why not?

Salt makes foods like popcorn and French fries tasty.  Food can taste very boring without salt but with just a little salt it can make food taste delicious.  In the times when there was no refrigerators, people used salt to preserve foods that would spoil or get rotten especially meat and fish.  Salt can clean and kill germs.

Jesus told his friends, “You are the salt of the earth.”  What do you think this means?  It means that the way that we live, we should make life tasty or exciting.  It means the way that we live we should preserve what is good and loving.

Discuss light with the children.

Why do we need light?  So we can see.

What is the biggest light?  The Sun

What did people use for light before electric lights were invented?  The Sun, Fire, torches with fire, oil lamps.

Jesus told his followers: “You are the light of the world.”  How can people be like a light?  When we learn something new, it is like a light coming on.  When someone shows how to live better, it is like a light coming on.  A person who teaches us to live better is like a light.  And we are supposed to learn and become teachers for others to help them live better.  So we are supposed to be learning all of the time so that we can become lights to show others how to live better.

Law

What is a law?  It is rule that tells us how to act.

Are all laws the same?  No

Which law is more important, “You shall not kill,” or “You shall not turn on your sprinklers on Monday, Wednesday or Friday?”

Jesus said that we should not be like people who made less important law the most important rules.  Are the rules of soccer more important that the rules about being kind to our neighbor?  What if we are not kind to our neighbors but we make everyone know and follow the rules of soccer as the most important rules in life?  It shows us that we are more concerned about a game than we are about caring for people.  Jesus said that we cannot replace the great important laws of love and kindness with less important rules.

Sermon:

  Today, I have in my bag of tricks two things.  What is this that I have in my hand?  A salt shaker.  And what else do I have in my bag?  A flash light.  What do I get when I turn this on?  I get light.

  Jesus liked to speak in riddles with his friends.  He told them that they had to be like salt and light.

  How many of you like salt?  What does popcorn taste like without salt or butter?  A little dull isn’t it.  What do French fries taste like without salt?  Really dull.  How many of you like pickles?  Do you know what makes pickles taste so good?   Salt water.

  What does Jesus mean when he says that we should be like salt?  He means that we should make the life of other people more tasty…more interesting…more exciting.

  I saw a little boy running into school and so I asked him why he was running so fast to get to school.  And he said, “I can’t wait to see my friends so I can have fun.”  That is what being like salt means.  We are to make life fun and exciting for each other.  We are to practice how to be good friends.

Jesus also said we are to be like light.  What did he mean?  I think that he meant that we are supposed to teach each other.  If I have learned something new that has helped me; then I want to share it with you.  And when we learn something new it is like a light coming on in our heads.

  No matter how old you are you have good things that you can teach someone else.  May be you can help your baby brother or sister learn how to crawl or walk.   May be you can help them learn how to talk or read.

  Jesus said that we are supposed to be like light because we are supposed to take the very best things that we have learned and share them with other people.

  What is the very best thing that we have learned from Jesus?  Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.

  If we can teach this to everyone in this world then our lives will be fun and happy.

  So can you be like salt today?  Can you make life fun for each other?

  Can you be like light today?  Can you learn new things and teach other people the very best things in your life?  I know that you can be like salt and light today.  Amen

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

February 5, 2017: The Fifth Sunday after The Epiphany

Gathering Songs:

Jesus Bids Us Shine, We Are Marching in the Light of the Lord, Thy Word,  This Little Light of Mine

Liturgist: Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit

People: And Blessed be God’s Kingdom, Now and forever. Amen.

Liturgist:  Oh God, Our hearts are open to you.

And you know us and we can hide nothing from you.

Prepare our hearts and our minds to love you and worship you.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Song: Jesus Bids Us Shine, (The Christian Children Songbook, #132)

1-Jesus bids us shine with a clear, pure light, Like a little candle burning in the night; In this world of darkness, we must shine, You in your small corner and I in mine.

2-Jesus bids us shine first of all for Him, Well he sees and knows it if our light is dim; He looks down from heaven, sees us shine.  You in your small corner and I in mine.

3-Jesus bids us shine as we work for Him, bring those that wander from the paths of sin; He will ever help us if we shine, You in your small corner and I in mine.

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Almighty and everlasting God, you are able to rule all things both in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear our prayer requests, and especially in our time grant us your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

 Litany of Praise: Chant: Alleluia

O God, you are Great!  Alleluia

O God, you have made us! Alleluia

O God, you have made yourself known to us!  Alleluia

O God, you have provided us with us a Savior!  Alleluia

O God, you have given us a Christian family!  Alleluia

O God, you have forgiven our sins!  Alleluia

O God, you brought your Son Jesus back from the dead!  Alleluia

A Reading from the Prophet Isaiah

Is not a fast to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly;

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord.

Peope: Thanks be to God

Please read with me from Psalm 112

Hallelujah! Happy are they who fear the Lord * and have great delight in his commandments!

Light shines in the darkness for the upright; * the righteous are merciful and full of compassion.

Litany of Thanksgiving: Chant: Thanks be to God!

Litanist:

For the good earth, for our food and clothing. Thanks be to God!

For our families and friends. Thanks be to God!

For the talents and gifts that you have given to us. Thanks be to God!

For this day of worship. Thanks be to God!

For health and for a good night’s sleep. Thanks be to God!

For work and for play. Thanks be to God!

For teaching and for learning. Thanks be to God!

For the happy events of our lives. Thanks be to God!

For the celebration of the birthdays and anniversaries of our friends and parish family.

   Thanks be to God!

Liturgist:         The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew

People:            Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.  "You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.  "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People:            Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon –   

Children’s Creed

We did not make ourselves, so we believe that God the Father is the maker of the world.

Since God is so great and we are so small,

We believe God came into our world and was born as Jesus, son of the Virgin Mary.

We need God’s help and we believe that God saved us by the life, death and

     resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We believe that God is present with us now as the Holy Spirit.

We believe that we are baptized into God’s family the Church where everyone is

     welcome.

We believe that Christ is kind and fair.

We believe that we have a future in knowing Jesus Christ.

And since we all must die, we believe that God will preserve us forever.  Amen.

Litany of Asking:  Chant: Christ, have mercy.

For fighting and war to cease in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For peace on earth and good will towards all. Christ, have mercy.

For the safety of all who travel. Christ, have mercy.

For jobs for all who need them. Christ, have mercy.

For care of those who are growing old. Christ, have mercy.

For the safety, health and nutrition of all the children in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For the well-being of our families and friends. Christ, have mercy.

For the good health of those we know to be sick. Christ, have mercy.

For the remembrance of those who have died. Christ, have mercy.

For the forgiveness of all of our sins. Christ, have mercy.

Youth Liturgist:          The Peace of the Lord be with you always.

People:                        And also with you.

Offertory: Song during the preparation of the Altar and the receiving of an offering

Song: We are Marching in the Light of the Lord, Renew! # 306

We are marching in the Light of the Lord;

            we are marching in the light of the Lord

            We are marching in the Light of the Lord;

we are marching in the light of the Lord

            We are marching, marching, we are marching, oh,

we are marching in the light of the lord.       

We are marching, marching, we are marching, oh,

we are marching in the light of the lord.

Doxology (Stand)

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Praise Him, all creatures here below.

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host.

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Prologue to the Eucharist.

Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, for to them belong the kingdom of heaven.”

All become members of a family by birth or adoption.

Baptism is a celebration of our birth into the family of God.

A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.

The Holy Eucharist is the special meal that Jesus gave to his family to keep us together as the family of Christ.

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to God.

It is right to give him thanks and praise.

It is very good and right to give thanks, because God made us, Jesus redeemed us and the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts.

Therefore with Angels and Archangels and all of the world that we see and don’t see, we

   Forever sing this hymn of praise:

Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Power and Might.  Heav’n and earth are full of your glory.  Hosanna in the highest.  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.  Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the Highest.

(All  may gather around the altar)

Our grateful praise we offer to you God, our Creator;

You have made us in your image

And you gave us many men and women of faith to help us to live by faith:

Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah Jacob and Rachael.

And then you gave us your Son, Jesus, born of Mary, nurtured by Joseph

And he called us to be sons and daughters of God.

Your Son called us to live better lives and he gave us this Holy Meal so that when we eat

  the bread and drink the wine, we can  know that the Presence of Christ is as near to us as  

  this food and drink that becomes a part of us.

And so, Father, we bring you these gifts of bread and wine. Bless and sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Bless and sanctify us by your Holy Spirit so that we may love God and our neighbor.

On the night when Jesus was betrayed he took bread, said the blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to his friends, and said, “Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”

After supper, Jesus took the cup of wine, gave thanks, and said, “Drink this, all of you. This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.”

Father, we now celebrate the memorial of your Son. When we eat this Holy Meal of Bread and Wine, we are telling the entire world about the life, death and resurrection of Christ; and that his  presence will be with us in our future.

Let this holy meal keep us together as friends who share a special relationship because of your Son Jesus Christ.  May we forever live with praise to God to whom we belong as sons and daughters.

By  Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory

 is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN.

And now as our Savior Christ has taught us, we now sing, (Children may rejoin their parents and take up their instruments)

Our Father (Sung): (Renew # 180, West Indian Lord’s Prayer)

Our Father who art in heaven:  Hallowed be thy name.

Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done: Hallowed be thy name.

Done on earth as it is in heaven: Hallowed be thy name.

Give us this day our daily bread: Hallowed be thy name.

And forgive us all our debts: Hallowed be thy name.

As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.

Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.

But deliver us from evil: Hallowed by thy name.

Thine is the kingdom, power, and glory: Hallowed be thy name.

Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Breaking of the Bread

Celebrant:       Alleluia! Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

People:            Therefore let us keep the feast.  Alleluia!

Words of Administration.

Communion Song: Thy Word, (Renew! #94)

Refrain: Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and light unto my path

When I feel afraid, think I’ve lost my way, still you’re right beside me.  And nothing will I fear as long as you are near.  Please be near me to the end.  Refrain.

I will not forget your love for me, and yet my heart forever is wandering.  Jesus, be my guide and hold me to your side; and I will love you to the end.  Refrain

Post-Communion Prayer

Everlasting God, we have gathered for the meal that Jesus asked us to keep;

We have remembered his words of blessing on the bread and the wine.

And His Presence has been known to us.

We have remembered that we are sons and daughters of God and brothers

    and sisters in Christ.

Send us forth now into our everyday lives remembering that the blessing in the

     bread and wine spreads into each time, place and person in our lives,

As we are ever blessed by you, O Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Closing Song: This Little Light of Mine (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 234)

This little light of mine.  I am going to let it shine.  This little light of mine, I am going to let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Hide it under a bushel, no.  I am going to let it shine.  Hide it under a bushel, no.  I am going to let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Don’t let anyone blow it out; I’m going to let it shine.  Don’t let anyone blow it out, I’m going to let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Shine all over my neighborhood, I’m going to let it shine.  Shine all over my neighborhood, I’m going to let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Dismissal:   

Liturgist: Let us go forth in the Name of Christ. 

People: Thanks be to God!  

Salt and Light

5 Ephiphany    A   February 9, 2014          

Isaiah 58:1-9a, (9b-12)  Psalm 112:1-9  

1 Corinthians 2:1-11  Matt.5:13-20

Lectionary Link

  Listen God, let me make a deal with you.  How about if I promise to come to church every Sunday and if I say the Morning and Evening Offices of prayer each day; and also if I give some money to the church would you exempt me from having to help the poor?  Would you exempt me from having to love people who disagree with me?  You see, if I could assure myself that I am okay and that I can have eternal life if I have the correct theology and I am fully compliant on religious rituals, perhaps I could be exempt from all of that messy stuff about justice?

  Well, this is the kind of subtle religious contract that sometimes we may actually be living with God.  We adopt a religious practice and a religious community as a way to feel good and clean toward God, but at the same time we avoid issue of human justice and care of our fellow human beings.  We can be faithful and loyal to creeds and doctrinal positions because we may hope that being told by religious authorities that we are “orthodox” in our thinking means that we somehow have a good standing with God.

  The lessons which we have read from the Holy Scriptures are totally in opposition to this kind of subtle religious contract that we may have in our lives.

  The Hebrew Scripture tradition, the Gospel tradition, the tradition of St. Paul is about the transformation of our lives, our entire lives.  For transformation to be valid it has to affect our entire lives.

  The prophet Isaiah noted that lots of religious people had made this phony bargain with God.  They performed religious acts of piety, even fasting,  all they while they let their fellow human being live in deprivation and suffering.  And Isaiah warned them that they could not disconnect the meaning of their religious deeds and beliefs from the overall practice of justice and mercy in their lives.

  The Psalmist wrote that people who keep the commandments will be blessed by God even with wealth; and that sounds rather formulaic except the Psalmist goes on to state what it means to keep the commandments: it means being generous to the poor and lending freely.  You want blessing?  Keep the commandments.  But the commandments are not words inscribed on a tablet for public display as a symbol of our moral superiority; the commandments are in the messy details of living our lives as compassionate people in deeds of kindness.

   Again the Psalmist’s message:  You cannot separate the commandments and the blessing of the commandments from the actual practice of kindness and generosity.  This means our  lives exhibit evidence of  transformation by complying with practice of the commandments.

  St. Paul told the Corinthian Church that the significance of his life was not his wisdom or even having wisdom about the mystery of God; the significance of his life was that his life represented a transformation in how he lived his life.  The death and resurrection of Christ were not just historical events; they were not just wise doctrine of understanding God; they were a spiritual method which transformed his life with the power of change.  Paul had been changed from being a persecuting religious inquisitioner into one who invited everyone into a path of transforming their lives.  He became one who invited Jews and Gentiles to this powerful transformation of their lives that could be known when one experienced and accessed this higher power of God’s Spirit.  It was not a theory of wisdom about God; it was the transforming power in practice.

  The words of Jesus in the portion of the Sermon on the Mount that has been read today is also about showing the evidence of a transformed life.

  Jesus warned about breaking the commandments because breaking the commandments at the most profound level means that one separates the laws of what one professes to believe from the actual practice of one’s life.  It does no good to profess that one loves God and then fail to practice the love of our neighbor as ourselves.

  Breaking of the commandments means to fail to realize the power of transformation which enables to not only to profess our love of God, but also to live our love of God in how we treat our neighbor.

  Jesus used the metaphor of salt and light.  If we understand salt  we understand that it is the nature of salt to so interact with plain food in such a way as to complement and add an enhancement to the taste of plain food.  If salt did not do this for food, then we would not use it.  Jesus said that his friends were to be salt of the earth.  To live in our Christ-like natures is to live transformed lives when we unite both the ideals of our commandments with the actual practice of our lives.  Salt makes a difference with ordinary food.  Salt enhances and accompanies ordinary food.  So too, our transformed lives are to make a complementing difference in this world.  Yes, we are to be spicy people; we are to complement and bring out the exquisite sublime taste in this life.  We are here to help people know, "My life is much better because of way that you live.  Your living makes my taste of life enhanced.”  Living our lives as salty Christians means that we make this world, the ordinary world, a tasty world:  A world to be savored because of our presence.  Jesus said that our lives are to make a seemingly ordinary and bland world, a very wonderful and good world.  As spicy and salty people we are to help people to realize just how good their lives are.

  Jesus also called his followers to be lights in this world.  He said just as we don’t violate the nature of a lighted candle by immediately putting it under a basket to be extinguished, so we are to live our lives as wicks that are ablaze with a light.  We are to live our lives to help others see more clearly things that help give them better orientation to their life situations.

  In the season of Epiphany which will end on the Mount of the Transfiguration where the face of Jesus is like the filament of a light bulb fully aglow,  Jesus is declared to be the Light of the World. But Jesus did not keep all of the light to himself; he also lit up the lives of his disciples.  He gave them the light of the Spirit as an inner depth to help them unite what they practice with what they believed.  Jesus provided his friends with a path of transformation.

  You and I are invited to be in this path of transformation today.  In this time and place we are to be salt and light.  We are to make this world a more tasty place because of the way in which we live our lives.  We are to make this world a brighter place because we have known an inner light.  This light has given us direction in the transformation of our lives so that we too can be an aid for others to transform their lives towards the love, wisdom and justice of Christ.  Amen.