Poverty Sunday. Family Service.
Video Call to worship
Reflection - Who is God! Flip Chart.
Opening Hymn: Praise to the Lord the almighty the
Song: Jesus We Are Here (Jesu, Tawa Pano)
Question: Who are we? (Praying Hands )
Song: Jesus We Are Here (Jesu, Tawa Pano)
The Lords Prayer
Notices and Offerings
Bible Reading Matthew 5: 13-20
13"Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavours of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up with the rubbish.
14"Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colours in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. 15If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. 16Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand--shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.
Hymn: Sing a new song to the Lord
Last week I was grateful to Dave for stepping in and helping us to look at the beautiful attitudes of God in an ugly world. Jesus spoke of how there was blessing for those who are grieving over many things, the meek. the hungry and thirsty - the campaigners for truth. He spoke of them and challenged us to be these people so we too can be part of the blessing of God.
Then Jesus goes on to say Matthew 5:13-16, "You are the salt of the earth" and "You are the light of the world."
Talking to "Tim" Salt and Light (Script)
Tim: Hi Alison
Alison: Hi Tim how are you.
General: Fine - and you - yes - not see you for a while. Where have you been, chat - not too long
Tim: I was listening to what you were saying just then, about being Salt and Light.
That's a bit odd - how can we be salt and light.
Alison: Have you heard the expression that someone is the Salt of the earth. A good all round person, dependable, honest, a solid reliable Kind of person.
Tim: What like Gordon? Is that what Jesus meant we must be this kind of people?
Alison: Yes, but more than that. Because we have to think about what Salt is for and how the people who lived when Jesus lived used it in their day to day lives. They used it for seasoning, preserving and purifying.
Tim: Seasoning makes things taste better - are we to make things taste better?
Alison: We are to make things better when and where we can. We are to go about doing good, and spreading God's love. Paul says: Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt".
Tim: Preserving - what does that mean - we are to make things go on for ever?
Alison: When Jesus was around he would have seen people rub salt into fresh meat - in the days before fridges and freezers the salt made the meat last longer, it didn't go rotten as quickly - we are to be like Salt that we preserve the goodness that we see around us. S alt resists decay, stops things from going off.
Tim: And purifying? - how does Salt do that?
Alison : Salt has been used to as a purifier for hundreds of years. Did you know that in the culture Jesus was born into, when a baby was born the first thing they used to do, even before they cut the cord , was rub salt into the baby. And how many times have you been told to soak something in salt water? A sore leg, hurting feet, put salt on a mouth ulcer -etc Salt on an open wound hurts, because it is doing a work - it kind of burns as it cleans out the wound. It purifies it, it heals.
Tim: Thanks for that - I'll be back in a minute.
Alison: Wonder where he has gone? Does anyone fancy some Salt?
Just a bit - would you prefer it was Sugar. Wouldn't you rather Jesus had told his disciples, "You are the sugar of the world," We could have provided the sweetness, in the world, all Syrupy and saccharine; this is a misconception that some people have - but being a Christian, and following Jesus is more about bringing out the best, making the good things better, purfying and bringing healing - not just covering up with some sickly sweetness, although I meet people who act in this way, not dealing with the bad things, but covering up the bad things with sweetness - that’s not what Jesus said we should do.
We are to be like salt. Salt has another use - it causes people to become thirsty. In a similar way, Jesus wants us to always point to God so that others became curious and want to know more about God, just because of the way we live and the love we demonstrate.
Tim: Got it. Here I come!
Alison: What's that - that’s not salt, that’s a light bulb!
Tim: But you said we are to be like light as well as salt.
Alison: Yes that’s right - Jesus said we are to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world." Again when Jesus was alive they didn't have the lights that we have - no street lights, no electricity, no power grids or battery driven torches. In the night time they would have had firelight and candles, with shadows and danger of fire. But in the daytime he would have looked to the sun, and a great light, and it was this kind of light he wanted us to be. Paul says we are to live as children of light." We are to let light shine out of darkness. "
Tim: Sing: This little light of mine!
To be people who show the light of God in all we do?
Alison: Yes Tim, to do just that. When Jesus sent out the disciple, he said to them , "I am sending you so that people will see, and turn them from darkness to light, . And Peter tells us, "You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
Tim: So shining is our business? So others can find the way to God? And anyone who is afraid might not be afraid anymore.
Alison: Yes that’s right. The Bible is like a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105). And we are to be people who reflect the light of God for we will meet with situations where God's light is much needed.
Tim: I went to the cinema the other day and the film hadn’t started and the It was all dark, but there was a light over the door that said exit, and it helped me to know where I was.
Alison: You know Tim, sometimes life is like that, dark and we don't know where we are going or where to turn, and the light of God allows us to focus in a different direction, and helps us know where to go. Jesus said: "Let your light shine"
Tim: I will Alison, I will. Bye!
Alison: So are we salt and light?
Where in your life are you left with that bad taste, where are there signs of decay, impurity, and darkness?
These are hard questions. Jesus challenges us to live differently and to spread goodness to be as salt and light.
Where do we do this - well in our work life, our family life, our school life, our political life and every other aspect of life. God calls his people to make a difference to the whole of life.
And when we do these things - God will use us and people will see God's love in action.
Tim: Just one more question Alison - can too much salt kill you, and too much light make you blind?
Alison: That’s a hard one! Can we be too much? What do you think Tim?
Tim: I'm not sure. Maybe, just maybe God doesn't always want Christians to hang about in churches all the time with other Christians, but he wants us to go to those places that are tough - where people don't know his love and to make a difference there.
Alison: I think You just might have it there - a little bit of salt improves the pan of potatoes, and a little blinking light in the darkness helps us get focused again!
Tim: So? So what now then?
Alison: Well, that’s over to us now. What do you think?
Song on Sheet: Jesus, what a beautiful name.
Prayer and Action for Poverty Sunday: Cards against poverty.
Prayer for Justice
Grant us, Lord God, a vision of our land as your love would make it:
- a land where the weak are protected, and none go hungry or poor;
- a land where the benefits of civilized life are shared, and everyone can enjoy them;
- a land where different races and cultures live in tolerance and mutual respect;
- a land where peace is built with justice, and justice is guided by love.
And give us the inspiration and courage to build it, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
O Lord Christ, who became poor that we might be rich, deliver us from a comfortable conscience if we believe or intend that others should be poor that we might be rich, for in God’s economy, no one is expendable. Grant us instead the riches of love.
Kathy Galloway
O Lord, open my eyes that I may see the need of others, Open my ears that I may hear their cries, Open my heart so they need not be without food. Let me not be afraid to defend the weak because of the anger of the strong nor afraid to defend the poor because of the anger of the rich Use me to bring love and hope and faith where it is needed And so open my eyes and my ears That I may this coming day Be able to do some work of peace for you
Alan Paton
Song: Brother, Sister, let me serve you.
Benediction.