shine-the-light

Salt and Light Sermon – Matthew 5:13-16                

Standard

Jesus said: “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:13-16        

MERRY CHRISTMAS IN JANUARY – JANUARY 25TH  – CAN YOU EVEN IMAGINE A MONTH AGO WAS CHRISTMAS – SO FAR AGO AND ONLY A MONTH – OR SO SOON AGO – BECAUSE MY DECORATIONS ARE STILL UP AND MY TABLE IS STILL FULL OF CHRISTMAS CANDY AND YET the stores have already started not just valentines candy but easter too – we can’t just stop and rest around here can we – absorb one season and just live in it – and because it is good to savor each season isn’t it ???

And this sermon series is all about seasons – seasons of life – seasons of time – seasons of the church seasons as theological movements, tying them directly to our mission statement – with our missions. And I am quoting the worship team’s notes here – thank you – quoting that we want the congregation to be able to move with the story of God and live out our shared call to Know God, Show Love, and Grow Community.”

So – it is fitting to still be in Epiphany – and trust me those three kings are still on the move – still traveling like us – remember that if they took a while to travel TO Jesus – then it took them a while – imaginably their whole lives to travel towards forward to everyone they were intended to meet to tell them about Jesus – and to tell the people WHY Jesus came into the world – to save us – to be the One to take on our forgiveness of sins with His sacrifice… Those wise men and women still following Jesus – that is us too – we are to be wise and sharing…

So – yes – in our Series 1 of our sermons this 2026 year – we are talking about how the “Light Has Come” – where Jesus as God’s Son is our Light of the world. And as He is the Light in us – we can point to that LIGHT for others – if you remember our torches – that is just over a month ago that in the church building we made these torches to carry out our mission and to light our way – and today I am talking about us being the SALT too – from the Matthew scriptures we heard this morning – as we are to be light-bearers as the church –  we are to be the salt shakers too – how fitting for this morning’s weather – YES, we are to witness and to be present to follow God’s Spirit and connect with the world planting seeds of faith for the Lord to sprout and nurture and grow. Yes let our light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. And Jesus is the Light in the darkness (that Isaiah said was coming and came) – we are to be His LIGHT

AND SALT???  Well – if we were in the building I was going to have salt shakers! [show prop]

And in our sermon team discussions, a friend gave me this insight – that SALT in food makes us thirsty – then we are leaning towards and needing more of the filling of the water of Jesus… Thanks for that insight… WE ARE TO DESIRE THE LIVING WATER THAT IS THE ONLY THING THAT WILL QUENCH OUR THIRST.

And SO – THIS talk could also be on how SALT makes food taste tastier – if you ever have made soup you would know what I mean – and salt with sweet is so good – who doesn’t love sea salt chocolate – or maybe in this weather that you are dreaming of the tropics – yes to be on the beach – or just plain salted chips – yet at times we see blandness in life – just like in food – and we are called to “spice it up” – be the light in a conversation and be the salt but not artificially – not with flashing neon or spicy jalapenos but with the true light of love – of Jesus – and the application of basic “salt of the earth” – REAL LOVE AND REAL COURAGE AND REAL INSIGHT. And insight – we need to not blindly lead with blaring flashlights that are too much and shining it in faces – but we need to shine our flashlights at our path in front of us – like with camping trails – like with cars low beams in fog – and sometime high beams in dark – but only in a courteous way.

I have a recent story about my car high beams – needed them for travelling recently – in SNOW like this – and what great timing for a snowstorm to match my message, LOL, but first I want to remind us of a sermon given by Martin Luther King Jr – about headlights – and that when he was driving with his brother or friend – that others were not dimming their high beams on this road – this was the 1950’s to 60’s when MLK Jr was preaching – and he equated dropping your high beams to loving others – loving even your enemies – that when his brother said “I’m so annoyed and I am going to flash my high beams too” well, MLK Jr said Jesus said to love – and I quote “someone has got to have the sense to lower their beams” – meaning someone has to have the sense to reduce the strife, reduce their retaliation –  and to keep loving – to make sense and not fly off the handle…  I love that analogy – I had included it in a previous sermon and I can send that MLK Jr link out later – but please do think of that use for LIGHT – we are to shine the Light of the Lord – not artificial light but real light from LOVE.

And so I can’t help but bring you the photos from my recent trip to illustrate some biblical truths today about Light and Salt. (and I am going to start my slide show WITH PHOTOS OF MY WONDERFUL TRIP TO EUROPE)

SLIDE – AIRPLANE LIGHTS AND THE MOON AND THE SUNRISE WHILE ON A PLANE – There are lights on planes and in the sky – and even the moon reflects the LIGHT – and we are to reflect the LIGHT – Jesus’s LIGHT.

SLIDE  – oh the lights in Vienna were beautiful – they were still up after Christmas – and yet we must remember that we need God’s Light – not just flashy lights – and this little oxalis plant – a shamrock – it needed some natural light because it won’t open it’s leaves without natural light. God knows we need Him to follow.

SLIDE  – You have to be careful!!!  This is us walking up to the castle for the wedding – yeah a broom on the cobblestones might have worked better than a shovel but actually it was the people walking that did melt much snow – and ice – really they weren’t prepared for the weather – and on the right my cousin just had his 2nd hip replacement operation – so he stayed in for sure – and we should listen to the Lord’s leading – and today for example we are staying in! And when we go out – let us walk like a Penguin – and a Christian!!! (probably not the bike)

SLIDE  – WINTER LIGHT showed beautiful on the snow – but no one applied salt (now I will give them a break in that salt is very expensive over there – we have it more inexpensive but still a lot for municipal budgets – and we get much more snow then they do…

The photo on the left – oh what a beautiful train ride –  oh it was good to be on track – and stay on track and isn’t that us with the Lord too – to be on His Track – the sure path is what we are told to be looking for – Proverbs 4 has great advice for snow and for living Godly:

Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you.
Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established.
Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil….

…the path of the just is like the shining sun, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know what makes them stumble.

The photo in the  Middle –  I was in a rental car and trust me that I am still the biggest encourager of Subarus for snow and for everything – but wow this was a Toyota Corolla hybrid was new as rentals usually are – and wow I was so blessed that the Toyota was EXCELLENT in the snow  – And I got all the paid insurance – tires to everything – and therefore I was able to be BOLD –  I mean I know how to drive in the snow – I was raised in snow country – this stuff is not unusual… not recklessly but confidently – and slowing down and taking it easy but to get up hills you need momentum…

OH…. My car insurance was ALL PAID – sounds familiar  with Jesus our path is not just paved but PAID – Jesus was and is the ransom for our sins – He paid the price – and we have a certain forever future WITH Him – now we can be bold as Christians – BOLD with LOVE – BOLD with COMPASSION – BOLD even in the treacherous conditions of the world. Jesus said: “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Oh yes – it was cold – my windshield kept freezing up and I didn’t have any washer fluid apparently so often I had to apply a water that I had bottled.

Water to keep hydrated – I had extra bottled water – good and I stopped the car and poured it on – and hey isn’t that a segway to us having Jesus and the Holy Spirit inside of us to hydrate our lives)

And Jesus giving us that boldness – to go – not like “to go where no man has gone before” – NO – but to go where God has already gone and calls us to mission – YES…

– The photo on the Right – since I was ALSO driving at night – and yes I needed high beams, it brought up better light for me to follow, yet in fog it was better to have the low beams on and look intently for the road in the dimness…  Yes I chose the narrow path where I brought my own light – this was the back roads like no other – not unlike going through the Poconos at night (which I promised my Dad that I would try not to do) – but in this case, these back roads is where I chose the back roads – the snow actually absorbed the freezing rain that was just starting to fall – and I took it slow – I had plenty of time and few people were on this road – and I just bare-knuckled on the steering wheel back to the hotel OK – remembering my skills and grateful to not be on that wide highway with those big trucks whizzing by – in the freezing rain where the road was much scarier…  avoid a big pile up

Oh yes – that Narrow path – in scripture Jesus said, recorded in Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

YES – I was able to take that narrow path – those backroads also because I remembered them a little bit from the last time I was there – and well, honestly the best thing – we can use GPS –

The GPS in the car took me on the main wide road, which was a bit scary like I said, and a toll road, and then I switched and I used the GPS on my personal phone instead, AND THE GPS IN MY HEAD AND IN MY HEART AND IN MY GUT –  took me back to the back roads. So the road less traveled… snow was hard packed there so at least there was grip. And I was bold in my approach, SAFE but bold and continued driving to the hotel home. Well it’s not really home but my temporary home on this trip – OH great scripture segway there – this earth we have is just our temporary HOME – we have a forever HOME – and we are just travelers here.

—

And how much better for us to make inroads with elbow grease of shoveling – and spreading salt – and I believe my path would have been easier if I had gone during the daylight – but you know, I did have the car lights, and those high beams. And often I felt like I was driving by faith and not by light…FAITH AND NOT BY SIGHT… YEAH…

I LOVED HOW THIS ALL SOUNDED SCRIPTURAL WHEN I was driving (this was 2 weeks ago now) and this sermon kept flowing out in my head. I thought: gee if I had known I would have packed salt in my suitcase and I would have brought twenty five pounds of rock salt. I mean, maybe that would mean I would have 25 pounds room for chocolate on the way back too LOL – but MY POINT IS THAT IN LIFE , SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO BYOS – bring your own salt –

SLIDE  – yes this is how I roll – this is the Subaru after a drive down from up north home upstate – and yes this manger scene is still on my car very salty –

SLIDE – see all the excess salt wasted – And Jesus said: “You are the salt of the earth – but if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”

Slide – a snowy road and good snow boots – and a nativity with snow Jesus

But back to my Europe trip –  I did pack my really really good boots – thanks to a friend for helping me pick them out – well they were just sitting there at Kohls as if God said “PUT THEM ON” – and keep going – Yes –the boots remind me to make a connection to the Armor of God

We are to walk the path of peace and keep walking – delivering the message of Jesus’s Love

Slide – the cemetery with the salted path and the kids of joy

Oh the cemetery –  I went to find my sweet cousin’s gravestone – which I had been before – and I met her years ago now – so blessed – she was my grandfather’s first cousin and she wrote my great great grandfather for 50 years continuously even though the letters never got thru that iron curtain but one – and that is another story I would love to tell you about – and well – my cousin never lost faith – and she was a strong light – a sure faith that shined to her family all those year behind the iron curtain – well that is her family gravesite on the left – I brought a red heart to place on it – and then I dug it out of the snow –

BUT WHAT’S THIS??? – what did I notice under my feet? A clear path – THIS WAS THE ONLY PLACE (BESIDES THE AIRPORT) WHERE I SAW SALT!!!!!  THE GRAVEYARD WAS NOT FULL OF DEATH BUT FULL OF LIFE – AND THE PATH WAS CLEAR – AND THE LIGHT SHINED THE WAY. AND WOW – I WISH I HAD VIDEO TO SHARE BUT THESE LITTLE PRESCHOOLERS WERE WALKING AND WERE SWEETLY CHATTY ALL THE WAY ON THEIR WALK ON THIS CERTAIN AND CLEAR PATH – IT WAS THE SIGHT I DELIGHTED IN – IT WAS LIFE AND JOY AND LOVE RIGHT THERE – AND THE PATH WAS CLEAR FOR THEM TO STEP FORWARD….

—-

And like we do brine applications on our roads – like Jesus laid the path mixing his Living Water with us being salt of the earth – just like salting ahead of time on our paths –

There are so many connections with salt – but let me wrap this up with the connection we have to making the LIGHT and SALT work – when it’s cold… so let us not be cold to the world. But let us be warm to the world, and then we can warm up the situation.

–  I will remind you that the salt (for the roads) works best when it is warm enough – and well – us too – salt and light as insight work when they are brought to situations WITH LOVE. Just as salt needs to be used wisely, we need to be wise as we approach situation.

And I quote from my hometown area’s big export – ROCK SALT from underneath the lakes – yes there are stockpiles that the Lord must have intended to keep under the water – pushed out by glaciers – now mined for the last few hundred years…  so some info from the business Cargill. Com, Road Salt will “work,” i.e. it will melt ice, all the way down to -60 F.  However, the “practical working temperature” of salt is generally considered to be above 15 to 20 F.  The colder it gets, the more salt is needed to provide a given amount of ice melting action. The salt’s ice melting action slows as the temperature drops. 

OH – so this reminds us – when it’s cold in the world – we need to bring the warmth of God’s Love – we need to not be cold to the world’s people and their plight – but let us be warm to the world, and then we can warm up the situation – and the salt can work better – and our love can shine more – and we can carry the Light of Jesus further… Be His Hands and Feet.

—————

So let me wrap this up in Prayer and in Benediction at the same time – We get to be salt and light and LOVE in Action – and when we remember to Bring the Salt and Bring the Light and be generous with each, and share LOVE – we can do so many great things for our fellow man – especially showing them that God is the One Who brings this LOVE out from us.

So please pray with me – Lord, You are asking us to walk with us – and for us to model Your actions – and to learn Your Ways – and to pray unceasingly to stay connected to You. You have led us safe thus far and urge us to keep going – we are to be Your Light and bring Your path-melting ability to spread salt into the situations and always always praise You for all the things we get to do – in Your Name Lord – in Your Name – AMEN

BENEDICTION – SO thank you for listening and let me remind us that we are being salt and light as love in action. And although we did not get to sing it – let me show us the lyrics of “They will know we are Christians by our LOVE” – a song which our worship leader said she loved because (and I quote): it’s not just being Christian and one in the spirit together, it’s also promoting peace, harmony and unity, it’s walking together in faith and life, and it’s work too! It’s working for justice and to spread the Good News.

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that our unity will one day be restored
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yeah they’ll know we are Christians by our love

We will work with each other, we will work side by side
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
And we’ll guard each man’s dignity and save each man’s pride
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yeah, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

Notice the Brokenness, Look for God’s Healing, Survive, Now it is Our Turn to SHINE the Light – Travelog

Standard

I started this travelog on the first LONG day of travelling and well I knew both that I would not finish it until now – and that the items of the early days were not worth complaining about – at all – even if I noticed them – and I knew the small hiccups would be replaced by the great big drink in of vacation and blessings and thankfulness… 

Yes – so starting in an evening traveling overnight – landing at 8am – without sleep except maybe 2 hours of napping on and off, it’s weird – a little…  And traveling is a whole culture – especially for business people and the airline folks – and even the workers on the ground and in the trains, but I am blessed to understand both the benefits and the hiccups of air travels and ground transport and life in general. I’m blessed to survive and THRIVE.  (PS this blog is not just about travel but about life)

I felt incredible PEACE that I was supposed to be here, multiple cities and adventures. In addition, I knew that I WANTED to be here. And I appreciate the Sarah Boynton cartoon depiction of a cat holding a candle saying “Offer whatever light you can” (probably written just after 9-11) and to know the Spirit cajoling of SHINE the Light wherever you can. I took a printout of this with me – kept it nearby to remember – to SHINE THE LIGHT. OFFER HOPE and JOY and PRAYER and EVERYTHING…

And for day 1-2, I came early to Europe so that I would be set right soon. And what a marvelous time that was – seeing great friends from our college days – where we stayed in touch over the years – yeah 35 years – amazing…)

It was a JOY to be there (be here, as I am editing this what I wrote 10 days ago)!!! Travelling and seeing sights, time with good friends and family on the horizon… New people to meet, experiences to understand…

The broken parts of this early part of the travel for this blog are going to be minimal surely when this trip is over but worth typing about for understanding that we notice the brokenness and then decide to fix or ignore or live with – and I am not JUST talking about travelling but about life.

1. Broken was the TV screen on my plane seat (it was ok I had my kindle movies downloaded, actually probably better entertainment that I wanted to catch up with – David Letterman interviews – and then I had Groundhog Day downloaded – and over and over I have seen it – like he does over and over on one day – love Bill Murray). 

2. Broken (or weird) was the low heat in my first room (it’s OK they gave me a cool space heater).

3. Broken was the little plant needing water and light for the little jar of Oxalis shamrocks to perk up – I have these at home and not only does it need regular water – it needs the light to open up and each night it closes its leaves down. So, no worries it was OK, as the hostess said she would water it after her shift (and funny how I mentioned the plant to my friend (also a plant-geek like me) and he said that when he had breakfast that he noticed the oxalis and it was well watered! haha – he must have sat at the same table I was at – and noticed the watering – I am glad to have had that insight – that someone noticed – but we don’t always have to know when we do something and it helps others – our job is just to keep helping), and I did go down later and saw them all (the plants from the tables) sitting in the windowsill. Now knowing the tall building these probably don’t get much light but they got SOME. They will survive just like we will – even a little light is OK, right?

4. Not broken but me being picky of having just the boiled not soft or scrambled eggs that first morning of hotel breakfast (well maybe that was better to have cooked fully on the first day while travelling) – and in hindsight knowing those eggs were there was a Godsend on the last day I was in Vienna and back to the same hotel, as I took a couple eggs in the plastic bag that the hostess gave me for the road as I was rushing to catch an early train – I sat with the bag and my thankfulness on the train.), 

5. and the broken world… The brokenness of the world is paramount and noticeable and the reason we NEED to shine the light. The rest is just fluff. And I am part of the brokenness fluff and realness too… And so even being part of the brokenness, we are to shine the Light – be the Light and the Salt – be whatever help we can be. Be part of the healing.

There are a THOUSAND POSITIVES, and I just wanted to mention these slight negatives of travel BECAUSE THESE ARE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT, and were certainly nothing that I didn’t survive and that we don’t normally NOT worry about. Don’t worry. The noticeably needed truth is, in all cases, the LIGHT of the situations is what is needed – We are to SHINE THE LIGHT.  Just like the Christmas decorations that were still up the days after epiphany, being LIGHTS, the blessed hope of the Light of the Lord is TRUE, and shareable. And we need to share it.

If we have had any healing at all of brokenness in our lives, may we realize it was and IS the Lord Whom heals us –  may we realize that we survived – not just silly annoying things like in travel – but the BIG life things – that God has been there consistently when we turned to Him. Maybe we also give some GRACE to the situations that we are in – trivial and life-altering – because GRACE is what God gives to this world and MERCY too. We can do that – give some forgiveness and keep moving.

Now before I packed and hit the train, I watered my little plant – I didn’t have time to go water all those plants, but at least I watered mine.  We’ll, maybe just we can be LIGHT in small segments – and certainly cover our own oopses too.

Next adventure day awaits – keep shining the light! 

PS – I couldn’t help but notice more Oxalis shamrocks in the next city – at their breakfast too (and trust me these great included breakfasts are so fabulous – and the hotel prices are fabulous)…  I smiled when I saw the well watered and opened Oxalis at this next place – smiling like it LIKED the Light.  Me too…

SHINE THE LIGHT!

AMEN

Matthew 5:13-16 NIV Salt and Light – “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” – “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

WOW – Give God Props!

Standard

Wow… I am amazed and thankful. I just watched this story on Instagram for the radio station WMMR. And as I was looking at all the October posts, I was BLESSEDLY SHOCKED to see that the stone piece I decorated for legendary DJ Pierre Robert, who legendarily said “God Bless the Grateful Dead” all the time, was in the video! The stone piece was in the studio!!!!

No mistake to me at this moment of scrolling that this was a “sign from God”.  This is a handwritten stone plaque that I made and then gave to fellow DJ Jacky BamBam to deliver, which I handed over at a meet and greet in 2024 and which he promised to deliver) – it made it there. It is actually propped up behind the vinyl record player at WMMR in their vinyl cut station at the Pierre Robert studio… WOW!!!! Pierre would have seen it every day, perhaps for up to a year (others too – and now see it on social media)… WOW!!!

I HAVE TO GIVE GOD PROPS! 

I mean, giving GOD KUDOS, as in “Proper Respects” as well as the actual physical props too, because I wrote it to bless the situations, bless the Lord and bless the Grateful Dead reference, I love their music too, and bless Pierre and Jacky too!!! WOW!!! 

And in turn, God blessed me with it – because I was wondering that day – after a long but good day about the meaning of my path of the day. Yes, even thought we don’t have to work to get God’s salvation, we and I want to do our best to serve God in the day. I had given the sermon in the morning about shining the LIGHT – and wondered my impact – and I think was temporarily came over me was a struggle of the devil trying to get some headspace time in me – and I was not shrugging it off fast enough – but then I was able to shake it – as I decompressed and enjoyed a visit to the farm (and farm store) and the wagon rides where the apple pickers were going, then went down the road to pickup printouts from my writing of Sept at the local Office Max knowing that the printing and curating as well as the writing that I do is driven in me to keep going, then I drove to a girl scout event at the historical manor in a recreated location where William Penn resided a few summers. It was like perfect weather outside – with friends – with curious scouts and some needing motivation scouts – and wonderful presenters.

And I felt the peace of the Lord increase as the day went on ,just that I was “in my space” – “in my place” – “with my people” – helping and healing and having fun… 

And when I got home, well that ability to be home with my kids, dinner, and I got in a phone call, and then scrolling to see the events of the day with the informal celebrations of the DJ Pierre – where they gathered down in the city – I thought about going to it – but it was better to be up with the scouts and the farm – it was better to let the Lord place me… He did and I enjoyed and even got in a good walk.

And props – I thought it was weird but not weird – that the people like that I bring props to my sermons – but I don’t necessarily want that to distract from the Lord’s Word – but perhaps it enhances or not for the presentation – I think others think it enhances… so OK… And all in all I felt – after the sermon – relief it was done – and relief to just keep going – move forward – don’t dwell – decompress but don’t dwell…  and at the farm and then at the girl scout event I remembered that MOST of God’s people are not in the church building – they are all around us – and we best be the LIGHT wherever we can be – be the light and salt – everywhere we go…  And that is how I felt the right place for me to be – and the right headspace – with God’s people increasingly throughout the day…  I have to give God props – proper respect as well as the props.

Like the placard stone sign – a plaque now in a public space – I have to say “God bless the Grateful Dead” – God bless Pierre – God bless Jacky and all the staff at the radio – God bless the day – God bless the friends through scouts – God bless the farm – God bless the beautiful day and realizing it – and God bless the knowledge of God in everything we want to do…

Thank you Lord for props – for propping me up – for moving me forward – for being able to see the small impact in a big world. 

God bless YOU God… Thank you for showing me that it is YOU Who bless each of us, even finding the right “pick me up” of us little me in a BIG world. You Lord, coordinate life to encourage the encouragers and move your love forward.

Shine on…

Amen

Here is the Instagram post, https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPg9ZVLAA9n/?igsh=MW5kMWdyMDF0aXZwMw==