9-30-2012
Jerusalem
42“If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. 43If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. 45And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. 47And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, 48where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.
49“For everyone will be
salted with fire. 50Salt is good; but if salt has lost its
saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with
one another.”
I
am an avid fan of cooking shows. Food
network is a constant at the Myers house, especially the competition and
restaurant makeover shows, where they show the chefs how to actually cook. One of the biggest issues that these chefs
have is that they will under season the food.
And the main seasoning that they are lacking is normally Salt. Salt is one of those things that brings out
the nature of the food it is put on, it raises it to higher levels. If it lost that ability, it loses its whole
purpose.
We as Christians are called to be
salty as well. But what does that
mean? Not all of us are capable of
making delicious food, nor is that our calling.
Our calling is to be who we are, for if we lose our nature, than we
cease to be what we are. In other words,
saying that we are Christians doesn’t make us Christians. What makes us Christians is how we live out
our lives and if we are a blessing to others.
What makes us Christians is living in the light of the Holy Spirit, in
allowing that Spirit to work through us in order to bring love and peace and
compassion to all people.
What kinds of things does this mean
in our lives? For one we can look at
James. We are called to pray for one
another in any of our woes. No matter
the illness or the harm, whether it be mental, physical, spiritual, or
relational, we are called to pray and support one another. When we pray we intercede for one another, we
ask God to look with favor and healing upon his children. When we pray we act in love and compassion
towards our brothers and sisters, whether they are aware of our prayers or not,
and when we live lives full of prayer we converse with God and we form a closer
relationship with God. And that
relationship comes to define our entire lives, and makes us truly salty. We have an amazing prayer chain here, and I
know that the people who are in it are devoted to the service of this
congregation and to all those that we know and love. And there is absolutely no shame in being on
it, on letting your brothers and sisters pray for you and care for you. I’ve
been on it, and I am so grateful for their ministry and compassion.
We are also called to confess to one
another, not so that we can then go spread gossip around, but so that we may
rebuild relationships and that there may be forgiveness in our community of
faith. And it takes great strength to
say you are sorry and that you have sinned against someone else. It is far easier to keep nursing hurts and to
let the relationship die. But that is
not how we are called to live. Even on
the cross, Christ asked for forgiveness for those crucifying him. How much more should we forgive those who
have done so little to us in comparison?
And when we forgive, and when we apologize, relationships can begin to
heal, and the love and compassion of God flows through us to one another.
We are also called to be helpful to
others in faith. As Christ tells us in
Mark, we would be better to throw ourselves into the sea with a millstone
around our necks than to be a stumbling block to even the least of people, or
at least the least as humanity sees people.
We are called to be examples in the faith, to come and worship together,
to share in the life giving sacraments of Baptism and Holy communion, to
rejoice with one another, and to model a life that is bound to Christ, where
love and compassion reign supreme. When
we gather and hear the Word of God and focus on God’s activity in our lives,
when we gather here as the Body of Christ and grow together, and when we gather
here and share our lives with one another we help one another to live out their
faith and we serve as a community that helps those who have never experienced
God in their lives to come to a place and to experience God through each person
here. If we instead choose to live lives
that are divisive and that seek control, then we may as well tie that millstone
around our necks and cast ourselves into the sea, for then we are showing people
that God does not truly reign and change lives, but instead is powerless to
human desires and emotions.
For we are not here for
ourselves. Yes, we do have the
opportunity to grow and to recharge here on Sundays, but we are not really here
for our selves, for we are called to be the servants of God. We are called to forever be in service to
others, to serve as a light in the darkness, as hope in times of hopelessness,
as a power for good instead of evil and love instead of indifference.
Today we serve as that
community. Today we bless quilts
handmade by some truly wonderful women here that will go to those who are cold
and in need all over this world. Today
we bless the prayer shawls, made and filled with love by some other fantastic
women here, and the shawls will go to those in our lives that are sick and in
need and will wrap them in the love and peace of this congregation. And today we celebrate the first communions
of Kip, Kaedan, Collin, Landon, Jack, and Lucas, who will join us for our meal with
our Lord Jesus Christ, who always makes room for another person and who fills
us with this holy meal and with his own presence in it. Today our light shines brightly and I pray that it may
continue to shine brightly each and every day.
But the reality is that we live with
Sin as well. None of us is perfect, none
of us able to by our own power fight against the power of Sin. It is often said that the church is a
hospital for Sinners, and this is most certainly true. And each and every one of us here is a
sinner, but each of us is also made whole and alive through God. But we are to ask ourselves a simple, yet
hard question to answer. “What is it in
my life that I am doing or not doing that is being a stumbling block to others? What is it that I am doing that sets up a
barrier between others and God?” Perhaps
it is open disdain for other denominations, or it is being too territorial in
this congregation, whether about position or the pew you sit in. Maybe you are like me and a bit passive
aggressive, which is not exactly the best way to show God’s love. Or it could be something completely
different. But ponder this over the next
week and think “Why do I cling onto this emotion or this activity? How can I cut this off, How can I live more
fully in God’s love and be a blessing to others? How can I embrace my saltiness?”
May we truly be salt, may we enrich
the lives of all those around us through the love of God. May we pray for one another, and care for one
another, confess to one another and forgive one another, may we live in our
community of faith instead of separating ourselves into little cliques and
fiefdoms, and may we always strive to improve and to grow in our relationships
with one another and with God. May God
bless each and everyone of us in our journeys or faith as we seek to claim our
identity as salt, as the children of God.
Amen
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