This morning before Sunday School, I went to the labyrinth in the bqck of the property at Burks UMC. I took a few deep breaths at the entrance and began my journey. I found myself in the center, more quickly than I had expected. Thoughts of letting things go and different scenarios had made the path go quickly. Surgeries for friends, grief over issues, and ongoing healing were some of the things that accompanied me on the path. Gratitude. Another companion this morning. As I stand in the center I hear birds chirping and singing. I hear a woodpecker. It’s cold again here, after some days of 70s weather. 34 degrees Fahrenheit this morning as I type. I have my coffee and a coat for warmth. Gloves keep the hands warm, but not while typing. As I prepare to leave the center, I breathe in this new day. It's the first Sunday in Lent, a season for reflection. I noticed the flowers as I walked out, a sign of hope. Peace and calm filled me as I finished my prayer walk. I am thankful for time with the One who created me and knows me best.
Below you can read today's sermon I gave at Burks UMC. Since I added something to what was already written, I did go add it to the script. Not everything I said today is in the written portion. I mentioned a special lady named Maxine during the section about "hope and encouragement". Maxine always speaks hope and encouragement. She works the cash register at Food City and recently earned employee of the month. We can all learn from Maxine. Another person I mentioned was Mitch. He and I talked about tie-dye a few weeks ago and he challenged me to wear a tie-dye stole the next time I preached. I happen to have one. Today, I wore my "joy" stole to start with and then changed out the stole, mentioning the story behind both of them.
Glow sticks were given out as part of the sermon, thus the photo of my glow sticks. :)
All the music today, from Roy Treiyer, the choir, Bradley Bee, and the praise band, added to the service. It always does. But, today, there was a particular sense that I can't name.
“Be Salty and Bright” Matthew 5:13-20 (CEB) February 8, 2026 Burks UMC 5th Sunday after the Epiphany
Good
morning! Before we jump into the sermon this morning, will you pray with me?
"God, open our hearts and minds so we can fully receive the Truth we need to hear today. Kindle your Truth in our hearts so others would see it revealed through our lives. Following Christ we pray. AMEN." (Prayer for Illumination)
In the first part of today's passage, Jesus teaches on salt and light. As followers, disciples, of Christ, we are salt and light, we are salty and bright.... Or at least we are supposed to be. What does that mean for us?
Anytime
we hear or read Jesus’ teachings, we are challenged to live into the teachings.
It can be overwhelming for us to consider all the ways we are to grow, to
change, to be the difference, to be the salt and light, to be salty and bright.
However,
if we consider just a few practical action steps, maybe one of them will
resonate with us and we can go from there.
PRACTICAL ACTION STEPS:
1.Show
unconditional love and grace to ourselves and others. How? Spend more time
listening. Listen to God. Listen to others, ask questions. Allow wonder and
curiosity to guide your conversations. The phrase: “Tell me more.”, 3 simple
words, allow the other person to share. People desire to be heard, to be seen,
to belong. By listening to others, asking questions and having a genuine desire
to learn, we get to know others. That is one way to show love and grace.
2.Speak
hope and encouragement. Whether it is a spoken word or word through text,
email, a card or letter…. Speak hope and encouragement. Everyone can use hope
and encouragement. Speak it to yourself and to others. Be intentional in
seeking opportunities that allow you to offer hope and encouragement. Think
through your daily routine… where can you insert hope and encouragement? Think
through your friends and family… the people you see at the grocery store
checkout, your pharmacist, your hairdresser, ETC. Who might benefit from a word
of hope and encouragement? Write the name down. Reach out this week.
3.Live
out the Micah passage (Micah 6:8) we heard last week from Amanda: act justly/do
justice, love mercy, walk humbly with God. What are practical ways to do this?
When you see or hear something that is unjust, speak up. Allow yourself the space to grow in your
relationship with God, Creator, Divine Mystery. Our lights will burn out if we
don’t make time to refill, refresh, restore… we do that through rest, study, worship,
prayer, and other spiritual disciplines/practices. Amanda mentioned the labyrinth
here at Burks last week. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s at the back of
the parking lot. Praying the labyrinth is one of my spiritual practices that
helps me grow as a follower of Christ.
I
invite you to start with these three or at least one of them.
If
you want to go beyond these three practical steps to live into being salt and
light, I won’t discourage that. If you’re not sure what a next step would be,
let’s chat. Or have a chat with Pastor Amanda.
[I
shared writing by a colleague here, titled “Reflection”. Sharon Kay Cochran
gave permission for any of us to use what she wrote. To me, her words spoke to
how the church can be salt and light. I invited the congregation to hear her
words and think about how it connected.]
“I don’t go to church
because it’s not meeting my needs.” That sentence fascinates me—not because
it’s wrong, but because it reveals what we think church is for.
Some people come to
church expecting it to function like a spiritual customer service desk:
• meet my emotional
needs • meet my social needs • meet my family’s
needs • meet my
entertainment needs • meet my preferences • meet my expectations
And when those needs
aren’t met, they assume the church has failed.
But here’s the truth
I’ve lived:
There was a season
when I did go to church because I was in abject poverty and needed help. I
needed food, dignity, and a place where someone would look me in the eye and
see a human being. And the church did that for me. That was grace.
But now? Now I go to church to
see what I can give, not what I can get. I don’t expect my
church to fill every emotional gap or solve every problem. I expect it to be a
place where I can worship, wrestle with theology, and feel safe in my faith.
That’s enough.
Everything
else—community, belonging, purpose, connection—those are things you have to
bring with you. If you’re looking for
a church to magically supply what you refuse to cultivate, you will always be
disappointed.
Church is not a
vending machine. It’s a body. And bodies only
function when every part shows up ready to contribute.
If you want a church
that feels alive, bring your life. If you want a church
that feels welcoming, bring your welcome. If you want a church
that feels loving, bring your love. If you want a church
that feels like home, bring your presence, your work, your willingness to be
part of something bigger than yourself.
The church can hold
you, teach you, and walk with you.
I
don’t know about you, but music has a way of reaching deeper into my being,
teaching me, and helping me grow.
In
talking about light today, I wonder how many of you thought about the song “This
Little Light of Mine”? We consider that to be a children’s song, but the lyrics
really can relate to any of us a children of God, right?
There
is a song by Jason Gray that came out in 2015. It resonated with me. The title
is “Glow in the Dark”. I invite you to look it up and listen to it. Here is one
of the verses from the song:
“Don't be ashamed of your past If you're shattered like a piece of glass The more broke you are the more the light gets
through Show your wounds and your flaws Show them why you still need the cross Let them see the work He's doing in you”
Shining a light doesn’t always mean things are cheery and bright. Even
through the difficult times, even through the pain and mess, we can still shine
the light within us. I know this from personal experience. But I also know this
from glowsticks. Yes, that’s correct. You know what I like most about them? You
have to bend and break the gel inside them in order to get the light to shine,
to glow.
As
the band makes their way, I want to mention that the glowsticks today are to
remind us that we can be bright and shine our lights. If you don’t want it for
yourself, maybe there’s a kid or grandkid in your life. You can take a stick
and a connector and make a bracelet out of it.
If we are honest with ourselves and God and others, we have all
experienced broken places within us. I want you to be encouraged. The light can
and will shine in you and through you, through those places.
May
your light shine in and through the darkness. May your light join with the
light of others to shine more brightly. Remember, as followers of Christ, be salty and
bright.
I took a walk, or a wandering today at Big Soddy Creek Gulf. Because of my side trails, I only went to the waterfall and back. I stopped several times to write. The temperature was mid 50s degrees Fahrenheit.
Here are my reflections. My photos follow.
"I came to the woods, the creek today for some sunshine, fresh air, and a walk. The clear blue skies hold a few white wispy clouds. The sound of the water soothes my soul. I breathe deeply. Over the roar of the water, I hear a bird or two in the woods behind me as I sit on a bench where the cabin used to be. I wandered, taking side paths several times. At times the wind blew lightly. There were a few bursts that caused remaining leaves to fly through the air and leaves on the ground to move around in a blustery fashion. The wind through the trees made noise, almost matching the sound of the water.
To feel the breeze, to hear the water, to see the sky, to feel the sun. This is what my soul, mind, and body needed today.
Silence. Solitude. Soul care."
It was a good time in creation!
Debra
(The pics loaded in reverse. Start at the bottom for correct order. )
