Salty & Lit

This weekend we are returning to our "regularly scheduled programing" with a portion of Jesus's Sermon on the Mount from the gospel of Matthew.

Several years ago, one of the leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention reported that when pastors within his denomination preached from this section of Matthew's gospel they reported that their members would come up to them and ask where they got those "liberal talking points." In response, his colleagues would respond, "I am quite literally quoting Jesus Christ." To which their members would say that those teachings "just don't work anymore."

As theological descendants of John Calvin within the Presbyterian church, the words of Jesus Christ are absolutely central to who we are. Whenever we have questions about our faith, Jesus is the first place we turn. Whenever we find that Scripture contradicts itself, we look to what Christ has to say. There is no higher authority on earth. Period.

And this weekend, we find our Lord telling us that we are not to sit quietly, hiding in an upper room as the world turns to pot. We are to speak with candor when something is wrong. And we are to shine the light of God's love into all the places where people are hurting.

Because there is a whole lot that is wrong and there are a lot of people that are hurting.

See you on Sunday.

Blessings,

Rev. Janie