For day after day they seek me out… they seem eager to know my ways. Yep, such is the first bit of todays lectionary reading. Despite the multitude of problems in contemporary Christian society, underneath it all, I think there is an eagerness to know God’s ways. I think there is a level of seeking going on, even amongst Sunday only Christianity.

Its also interesting how verse 9-10 of Isaiah ties right into todays Gospel reading… If we are to let our light shine before men, we ought not to be putting it under a bowl. If we are to let our light shine, we ought not to be doing the finger pointing and malicious talk.

We’ve been working on some Casting Crowns tunes on Friday nights, and both seem to hammer home todays scriptures.

The chorus of “Does Anybody Hear Her”

Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?
Or does anybody even know she’s going down today
Under the shadow of our steeple
With all the lost and lonely people
Searching for the hope that’s tucked away in you and me
Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?

The chorus of “If We are the Body”

But if we are the Body
Why aren’t His arms reaching
Why aren’t His hands healing
Why aren’t His words teaching
And if we are the Body
Why aren’t His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way

My friend @tragicpizza hit on a couple key bits in this mornings sermon.

1. Jesus declares us salt and light, its not something we do on our own.

2. We are to act who we are. He hits home with the following.

If we view church as something we go to, rather than something we are; if it’s a once-a-week get-out-of-Hell-free card or if it counts as positive marks on our social acceptability meter, we miss the point, and I would contend that we are in danger of finding out how salt can become unsalty.

And if we, as Christians, are struggling to be accepted by God, to be doctrinally perfect and theologically blameless, we’re missing the point. We are already accepted by God. We are already salt and light. We don’t cease functioning because we’re already there; instead, knowing who we are and whose we are frees us to act in response to this incredible gift of God’s grace! We can’t be anything but salt! We can’t be anything but light!

He then follows up with what happened when Canvas Community Church saw a need in their community.

In early January, as temperatures in Arkansas were dropping far more than usual, the homeless shelters became filled to over capacity. People were, out of necessity, being turned away. There was no room. Canvas Community church members decided to open their doors so folks could get warm. There was no big pomp and circumstance, no running it through committee to make sure it didn’t violate the charter, no budget, and no plan for how to get it done.

….

What is striking to me, and not in a good way, is this: Canvas Community Church is all too unique, not because of what they did, but that they did it at all. They didn’t sit back and expect the shelters to magically expand their capacity to do the job. They didn’t wait on the government to step in. They were salt. They were light.

Seeing a need and actively, even recklessly, meeting that need? That is being the salt of the earth which brings nourishment, healing, and restoration. That is being the light of the world which brings hope, direction, growth, and life.