Welcome to our Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish. Our church services are at the usual times of 9.15 am at St Agnes' and 11 am at St Thomas'. If you're unable to be with us in person, there are some resources below to help you to worship at home.
Our first hymn this morning is "Be Still, For the Presence of the Lord"
Today's Gospel
Matthew 5: 13 - 20Salt and Light
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 underfoot.
“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 fulfil. 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.”
Reflection
Today we read the next part of Jesus’ sermon on the mount which follows the beatitudes.
Many of us will have heard someone described as ‘The Salt if the Earth’. What does the phrase conjure up for you? Someone who is reliable, selfless, helpful, generous or caring perhaps? The sort of person who is always willing to lend a hand, even if they are busy.
I wonder though, how many of us would ever consider describing ourselves as, the salt of the earth? If not, I guess that begs the question, why not? Jesus tells us that we too are, or can be, the salt of the earth, and we can play our part in flavouring the world and changing the lives of people around us. Salt was considered a precious commodity in the times of Jesus. It was used for preserving food in a time long before we had artificial preservatives or fridges, let alone freezers. It was so valuable that some people were even paid wages in salt, (hence the word salary).
So, Jesus the source of divine salt and light, shared this with the thousands who had come to see him, so that they and we might share with others. He was telling us that we too can transform the world, like salt transforms the taste of food. That if we appreciate God’s role in our lives and do his will, we can illuminate the world and shine a light into the recesses and dark places around us. That by loving one another, we can enlighten them and bring them into His Kingdom to know his love.
So how does this work? What does being the salt of earth mean for us in our day to day lives? What behaviours and attitudes should we think about if we would like Jesus to think of us as ‘the salt of the earth?’
Do we look at the beggar outside the supermarket or the ‘junkie’/alcoholic in town and think of them as one of God’s precious people. Someone like us, who deserves our respect and recognition. Someone we should acknowledge as valued and created in God’s image! Or do we avert our eyes and try to ignore them, pretending we are distracted by something else or just too busy to stop and say hello.
Do we look at the blessings and gifts that God has provided for us, our families and friends, and then pray hard that God will also bless others who have less, with similar good fortune. Especially, do we ask God to bless those who we don’t agree with, dislike or don’t relate to.
Are we truly and honestly feeling compassion for people who are struggling, and if so, what are we doing about it?
Life can be hard, and it is often despairing reading or listening to the news. It can be almost defeatist because we either don’t know what to do or we think somewhere, someone else can solve everything. People say, ‘when is someone going to sort all this out or when is the government going to put things right?’ If you’re one of those people, searching for answers to the issues that face society, then you’re on the right tracks. But if we are to so see a difference and transform the community or even the world we live in, much has to start with us.
It's one thing to know and protest about the state of the world, and another thing to make a difference. If we are to be the salt of the earth and enhance the lives of others, we need to consider what we can do to add to the richness of the world and improve the lives of others.
As Jesus told his followers, if salt has lost its taste, (i.e. if we are self-centred and do little for others), then we are no longer good for anything. You can’t improve the flavour of the stew by leaving the salt in the jar.
For some, doing more may be a challenge at first. It may mean changing some of our routines, doing some things at different times or even stopping doing things altogether. Perhaps going to different places, even seeing some places on our doorsteps that we choose not to go to. It might even mean asking someone else for help so that we can remove some of the obstacles that we put in our own way. Have you ever said, “Of course I’d love to help out a but I can’t get there easily.” At the same time someone else might be saying to themselves, ‘I’d quite like to give that a try, but I’ve no one to go with’. Or, “ If I knew so and so wanted to help, I would gladly have given her/him a lift”.
Here's a random thought: 2 ounces of salt contains approximately 700 grains of salt. There are 720 hours in a month. How many grains of salt do you put into doing things for others each month?
If we can help others, then we too will be blessed, because when you add salt to the stew you improve the flavour of both the stew and the salt. If we take time to show to show our neighbours that we love them, even those we may not know , then our lives too will be enriched. When we bring light into the lives of others or lives will also be brightened through Jesus.
When we are baptised, we say together: “Shine as a light in the world to the glory of God the Father”. May we all be filled with the gift of the Holy Spirit and let our light shine before others, so that they may see our good works and give glory to our Father in heaven. Paul
Our Prayers
Heavenly Father,
We thank you for the light of Christ who illuminates our being.
Give us the courage to look honestly at our lives,
To question what more we can and should do to help others,
So that we can be true and authentic to ourselves.
That we may not lose our saltiness but shine brightly through our acts of kindness and generosity.
Amen
Today's final hymn is "Longing for Light, we Wait in Darkness (Christ be our Light)"
Notices
Our 'Worship for All Generations' service has been extended to 2 nights each week at 6.30pm in St Agnes' Church on a Tuesday and Wednesday (apart from the last week of the month - subject to change). We have had an increased attendance since our friends from St Johns, Hey joined us this year. To make sure we can worship comfortably and more personally with more families involved we have made this decision for all those who attend. We ask you try to commit to one of the two nights each week rather than 'swapping and changing' where possible. All new families will be made most welcome! Worship for all Generations will continue to be on our Facebook page each Thursday.
