snow

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.

YES! JESUS IS ALIVE! VBS Day 2 – When you feel alone, TRUST JESUS

Standard

It was probably the most important conversation of the night, as it will be all week. As the littlest cutie in my Imagination Station science and craft session blurted out in wondered questioning: “Jesus is Alive??? He died and is alive?” – “YES” I was able to affirm, avow, acknowledge and AMEN to… And my Holy Spirit jumped as excited as his.

And then he asked: “How?” I simply said “Jesus is God” and the littlest ones repeated amazed “Jesus is God?!!!!” YES !!!!

Amazing opportunity to affirm what we know, Jesus is always with us, Jesus is alive, and “When we feel alone, we can TRUST JESUS!!!”A blessing to know and teach.

The truth is that Jesus knows the praises that come from our lips as much as the concerns. And our Bible lesson was on how to live and know we are not alone like the one sheep left away from the 99.The fluffy sheep wool, and fluffy pretend snow was fun in our circle time.

More fun? REAL SNOW!! I brought out some of the ten bags I saved 6 months ago in my freezer. The amazement unreal! The joy real. Cool cold!!! We made fluffy photo frames too. “Jesus loves me, this I SNOW! (Know)…

Interestingly, my cat who passed away was named SNOWY… Interesting…

Earlier that day, and throughout the evening I explained, when asked by friends in the know, about the circumstances that led up to my cat Snowy’s rapid decline. The group knew she had passed but not the kids. I was surely able to praise the Lord for the Lord’s timing the night before, I had finished vbs and could rush home. We prepared the cat and ourselves for the next night, when we took care of burying the cat, and I said to my family, from dust she came and to dust she will return, but we always carry her with us in our memories and love.

With my cats passing, it’s strange to not have to look out for her each time you open the door. She was an escape artist. I’m slowly finding her items and tossing or saving. Will donate much after it’s washed. No, we are not getting another pet so soon. No need to do anything but take it day by day.

At work, I only told one person and in that conversation, I was super careful in choosing my words as they are someone who lost a child a number of years ago. I remember that timing too. The Lord is to be praised even we don’t understand. And surely one day we will see the Lord face to face for knowledge and comfort. We all best take day by day to process and pray and praise. Loss comes when it does, whether we are prepared or not.

At VBS, we could talk briefly about loss, aloneness, and avow that Jesus is already with us. I often look at this craft I have from last Easter: “there is no gloom in the tomb – Jesus is risen today”…

Yes, Jesus is alive and walks with us. Jesus comes for us. Psalm 139 reminds us we can never flee from His Presence.

Thank God. Jesus is alive indeed!

Thank God.

Amen

VBS is a Holy Spirit blessing from the Lord

Standard

I can tell that my mindset is SWITCHING GEARS – to VBS mode!!!! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love getting to this point of the year, the VBS planning meetings. I am SO excited – I was thrilled when I heard about VBS coming back to my old church, the first time since covid era. Trust me I already read the materials well beforehand. I’m SO EXCITED!!! These are great Jesus stories of love, care, hope… Especially that Jesus calls our unique selves to Himself.

And last month I almost started ordering supplies before I even got signed up into my choice of station leader position: Imagination Station, combining science experiments and crafts. But I held myself back, because I am not in charge of this VBS, one of the “seasoned” helpers. Yes I led VBS for 7 years but this time is in a different season with all of us seasoned folks in a new mix with new folks and we need to LET the Lord put it all together HIS WAY. 

Not phoning it in but being “called” to help… Vacation Bible School is the LAST place for any of us to have a “been there done that” attitude. WHY? Because this is a new situation for each person at a new season in their life and especially new for the children young and old who will learn the lessons new and anew.

Remember each day is new, let alone each year, so YEAH each VBS is NEW. There are no broken records of Scripture, each time we hear even a well-versed Scripture, it’s NEW to our situation at that moment. More important it is NEW to the student and the intended ears to hear. 

My lessons learned in VBS year after year, and especially last night? The Holy Spirit moves unhindered and fast and fresh. 

As I scoped out the room of chairs, 10 minutes late, I sat in the back to be quiet and listen. I noticed for myself that the troubles of the day faded away… I was amazed and thrilled (quietly sitting there to start) because these were the veteran seasoned vbs-ers who showed up. I was moved humbly to see that we were with two FRESH FACES of grown up VBS-ERS from my era of teaching. I remember them both at preschool and elementary age. They were quite grown up now. I found a photo for one, almost 10 years old now, in an old email to her grandfather, for the now teen sitting immediately in front of me, one whom I encouraged last night in this new era of VBS, explaining the stations names and the bible stories this year.

We help with an unchanging God to keep us growing. These new VBS helpers (40 yrs my junior) are our future in sharing the Lord well after we are long gone… And oh I am excited to see more teens now near adults coming to help this year too! (and maybe I can get my kids to help again too this year in some capacity, yay!)

Yeah! I know we are to step IN to VBS and to step OUT of being in the way of His Way. We need to let the Lord have HIS say with our lives and our time. And when it comes to faith, we should not have to rely on “our way” or having “my say”. Everywhere, and especially in VBS, we are to be supportive being used in the Lord’s Way.  Hooray! It should be this way = HIS WAY!!!

Amen and I hope you get to help in a VBS this year in some Holy Spirit Way!!! BLESSED YAY!!!

Snow, Season Shifts, and Such, Savor and Savior it

Standard

Ah, snow… 

It’s a known – “watch the weather” – so I did – and it was more beautiful than scary. I do love snow, so while I really was on a mission to strategically get through it, I did stop occasionally to admire it. (And I packed winter gear for sure – boots and winter coat were donned!!!)

The journey started at 40 then 37 degrees then 33 for a while, 32 just a moment, then down the mountains 33, 37, 40…. rain-snow-rain. So I had fall – winter – fall seasons, and because it was almost 70 last week, forsythia flowers were blooming up at mom’s – spring sprung twice as a surprise each of these recently warm years… I thought how great the northeast has stockpiles of salt deposits – how fittingly convenient… salt melts snow….

The hills surrounding got 4 to 12 inches of snow, but the valley got rain, lots that the minor gorge creek at the bottom of the road was pouring down in volume. 

The trip through mountain elevation caused me to see up to 8 inches of big fluffy snow at one point, but I didn’t stop for that photo, because the roads were really good, salted, and there was a gap of precipitation, and the height of day is when my Dad always preferred me to get through the mountains. I was subaru-safe and slowed down. It is nice to be up home this weekend, pre Thanksgiving moments with my mom, brother, and today planning work at my aunt’s farmhouse (only 4 inches snow there)… it’s normal to keep going in snow…

The snow sandwiched in the middle of my seasons did get me thinking of Christmas, it seemed not out of place then in the moment, otherwise I am so NOT ready to switch my palette of life of browns and yellows, faded red oranges to WAY TOO BRIGHT red and green,  not until after Thanksgiving. So right now preferred browns and yellows in my sights added in white. Christmas is coming, but savor THIS season first, whatever the temperature.

However slow or fast this Christmas season comes, it’s not a delay of understanding the REAL SEASON SENSATION – that is of course the story of Jesus coming – advent starts soon. Well 9 months before Jesus’s birth we are also clued into a preparation story, mary with Jesus is prepared by Elizabeth and cousin John the Baptist, and dad Zachariah having to wait to get his voice back. Ah, many a waiting story…. In Zachariah’s account in Luke, is like spring inside fall (forsythia not overrun with snow) reading about Jesus Savior as hope, in the song of Zachariah, Luke 1:67-75, we see a people who saw the glimpse of the new within the old season. We savor THIS Savior season.

So yes, we can glimpse this season shift in Luke’s gospel account, the crucial connection between old and new testaments but one long journey for Jesus and David’s line…

It’s like snow in my fall, spring in my step, and the real WARM UP to the season!

Zechariah’s Song

His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us – to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

—

THEN SPEAKING OF JOHN THE BAPTIST v76-80

And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.

AMEN AMEN