Salty

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 under foot.  Matthew 5:13

The gospels record very few of Jesus' sermons.  The above quote is taken from what is usually called, "The Sermon on the Mount," starting in Matthew 5.  Luke calls a very similar set of sayings,  "Sermon on the Plain".  While you cannot judge a book by the cover, you can tell a lot by the title.  It matters to Matthew that this sermon is preached on a mountain because centuries earlier another religious leader climbed a mountain to chat to God and he came down with a sermon etched by the fingernail of God.  That was Moses and Matthew wants Jesus' life to echo...echo Moses' life.  Luke is much more concerned about equality and making room at the table for everyone...preaching a sermon on a plain...a level playing field... makes much more sense for him.  

In both Gospels, the writers begin with what is known as the Beatitudes, Matthew 5:1-11.  While there are important differences between Matthew and Luke here, what I find fascinating about the Beatitudes are they beg the questions: How?  When?  Where? Who?  When are the poor or the poor in spirit seen as reflective of God's realm?  How are those who mourn comforted?  Who in the world does that?  I imagine that if I was there, on the Mountain or Plain, found the courage to raise my hand and ask these questions, Jesus would stare at me silently with the implication being; You!  You and I are called to fill the gap between what is (mourning, persecution, and words spoken harshly) and what can be (comfort, solidarity, and love).  The church is the bridge between broken reality and the in- breaking of God's realm.

I am not sure we always think of the church that way.  There are budgets to balance and buildings to improve.  There are worship services to plan and leadership retreats to develop.  The church I serve tries to reach out, to be that salty bridge from the final "Amen" on Sunday to the prayers of the people during the week.  But it is not easy.  Pastors are called to be BOTH a part of members' lives AND reach out to the community, some of whom may never enter the church door.  It is a balancing act.  To be honest, I am a big klutz....literally and figuratively.

I sometimes wonder how much saltiness I can take in my faith journey?  I like comfortable situations where I am in control...but it is good to step outside that zone.  On Monday this week, I went to a homeless ministry in our community.  As I drove down the road to the location, there were people waiting outside.  I felt their stares piercing through the car window and my heart started to beat a little faster.  I KNEW I was safe, but I was outside my safety zone.  

Salty faith will take us to places we may not like.  For some reading this blog, you may volunteer at a homeless shelter, but put you inside the office of a government official and your tongue is twisted and mouth dry.  For others, you love building houses, but put yourself in a silent retreat where you have to sit and remember that God is God...and YOU are not...causes you to shift uncomfortably.  We all have places in our faith where we are in the zone and places that are outside of what feels comfortable/natural.

We are approaching the season of Lent, this might be something to ponder.  Maybe you often give something up for Lent...which can be a very meaningful part of the faith journey.  But maybe this year you need to drive down that road that leads to a place where you have not normally encountered God.  And the good news is I hear Jesus not saying "You" individually, but rather "You ALL" collectively.  You don't need to go to that place alone...probably better if you don't.  I met a few other folks at the homeless shelter, people I knew and I learned a lot about this important ministry.  I pray you will find ways to add spice to your faith in the coming days, especially during Lent.  Most of all I pray that stretching your faith adds more than a trace of God's grace.

Pax and blessings ~