FREELTON STRABANE UNITED CHURCH
To Live Our Discipleship With Integrity And Grace
Horseshoe Falls Regional Council
Fifth Sunday of Epiphany
Sunday, February 8th 2026
Rev. Will Wheeler BA M. Div. E-mail: [email protected]
Organist : Joan Simpson
Call To Worship
Take this moment sign and space
Take my friends around
Here among us make the place
Where your love is found me
(Iona Abbey Music book pg 122)
One: God comes among us and within each one, inviting us to salty Christians
All: we are each important to the good work God seeks to accomplish with and through us.
One: we are called to be lights in the world and to let our lights shine brightly.
All: In our worship and in our service we seek to once more be renewed in the presence of God’s Spirit.
Prayer of Approach
Prayer. Lord, you have called us to be the salt of the earth and a light unto the world. We confess that this is somewhat of frightening responsibility. Yet to us you have given the words of life. Be a presence in this time so that we may find the direction we need to be your ambassadors to the world that we may become a reflection of you to and in the world. In Jesus we pray. Amen
All: (sung) In God we live and move and have our story.
In love God lives in us and makes us whole
O Jesus may we hear the Word that calls us near.
Your story makes a home within our soul.
Your story makes a home within our soul
One: The Word of God for the People of God
All Thanks be to God
One: Let us continue to listen to the wisdom God has given us as found in 1 Corinthians 2:1-16
One: This is part of Journey
All May these words strengthen us for the Journey
One: The Light of Gods Love illuminates our lives in the Good news found in the teaching of our Saviour Let us listen to the Gospel of our Lord our lesson is taken from the Gospel Matthew 5:13-20
One: The Word of God for the People of God
All Thanks be to God
Now you may want to take this with a pinch of salt as you are the salt of the earth and worth your own weight in salt and I wouldn’t want to wound you and then rub salt in the wound. As an Old Salt and somewhat of a salty dog I will make sure that I don’t use any Salty language or refrain from a salty attitude but there is wisdom in salt away some funds for a another day because you never know when you might want to eat salt with someone regardless if they are above or below the salt. We are always reminded that we should not salt someone’s mine or salt there game But try to be as True as salt as salt is to food. There will always be those that live in a salt box house who will want to through rocks (rock salt) and they are not worth the salt for they are the type that will just pour salt in the wound. No we are above the salt and must sprinkle salt on it and know sometimes it is not worth a grain of salt. We must allow our words to be seasoned with salt to salt our speech so that our light might shine. I do not hope this was an a salt to your taste for old sayings.
Depending on how you follow there is anywhere between 12 to 31 different types of salt that one can use in cooking. Well some I wouldn’t use like Rock salt. You all may remember the children’s time when I had one child taste a selection of salts. You have to use a child as an adult’s blood pressure. Fun fact Freelton Water is naturally high in salt and the city puts out a warning every year about this.
We need salt. Not to much not to little the right amount. For some people they can be like a salt monster. Set a salty snack in front of them they go at them like there is no tomorrow. Our faith is salt we need in our lives. Yet what happens if the salt looses it’s flavour.
There was a clergy who decided that he would live without God for an entire year. He would be in essence an Atheist. (deprivation tank of faith) He wanted to explore the question of faith.
I am not sure I have ever met a true atheist, some one who did not believe in anything. Most people that claim to be Atheist are really not they are in reality Agnostic. They believe in a greater being but usually not the organized church. That is not to say they are not people of faith. They can be people of great faith at times.
What is it like to have an actual Faith Crisis to stop believing. Not just questioning but saying “ really “ and walk away. What happens when the systems the patterns of our life no longer work.
Like that song from White Christmas What do you do with a general when a general stops being a general.
What do you do with a Christian who stops being a Christian.
What do we do when the church stops being the church
What do we do when our Christianity stops being our center.
What do we do when we become so caught up in what we are doing that we fail to see what we are about. When the task is greater than the faith. When the physical becomes greater than the spiritual.
This has been a tiny red caution light in the back of my head as we have moved through the amalgamation/implementation process. The Spiritual being lost to the task at hand.
It happens. When the wonder of God becomes common place when we fail to see God in our lives.
So this Pastor wants to see how it is different living as an Atheist
Do they work differently, do they look different, do they have different shopping habits, to they love their family differently? Well no. People who are Atheist are normal law abiding loving people. Are there are atheist who are bad people? Yes. Are their Christian who are bad people? yes.
So were does this leave us?
The difference is that when the chips of life are down, we have the knowledge that God will be with us. When we question our faith, wonder of God’s presence even at times walk away from God, God does not walk away from us.
We are the salt of the earth, We are that light, we are called to shine. Because we have said yes to God
We at times need to stop all that we are doing and be in the presence of God and see how we are that salt, that light. To taste the flavour of God’s love, to feel the light of God upon us.
Salt in the shaker does nothing. A light under a bushel does not shine,
A church with out the movement of the spirit does not spread the good news of the gospel
Yet set them all on a stand….
We need to do this because without first and foremost our understanding at what it is to be a people of God, to be open to the wonder of God in all of creation to have Christ as our center and the spirit as our guide we are nothing
To paraphrase that great song from Godspell
Got to stay bright to be the light of the world
So let your light so shine to the before all
So that might know some kindness again.
You got to live right to be the light of the world.
Rather jazzy tune.
But we are called to be Jazzed about being Christians
You are the Salt of the Earth. Think on this
Your are the light of God reflect on this
May Spirit of God flavour your day May Jesus Christ our saviour light your way
And may God remind us that we are not alone. Thanks Be to God.
Prayers of the people
Hear our prayer we humbly offer
Grant to us your peace O God
Hear our prayer we humbly offer
Grant to us your peace O God.
Prayers
Blessed God we pray that your Holy Spirit might rest with us so that we might let your light shine through us. That city on the hill and that this place may continue to grow and be a place of welcome and faith growth. We are thankful for the many blessings you have given us. We know that there are many who would let there light shine but it has been dimmed by illness. The salt of their spirit weekend by oppression and hardship. Those who would be that city on a hill but have been marginalized. For all those who we do not know who need your presence we pray that your Holy Spirit may be upon them and they may find healing and hope. We pray that same Spirit rest upon those who we are called to journey with. We name them before you.
There are those who we are called to journey with that we hold in our hearts.
You O God are the light that leads us forward. With that light we know that we will be able to do great things in your name. We offer you our own personal prayers of petition and thanksgiving in the silence of our hearts. We offer you the great prayer that binds us as one as we say, Our Father….
Offering
We give thee but thy own. The work of the Church continues and there are three ways you can continue to support that work. Consider using PAR, use the donate button on our Web Site or drop your gift at the Manse. Let us make our offering and give thanks.
One: Praise God who from all Blessing flow
Prayer
Our Offerings are not meant to maintain an institution, but to enhance our ministry. The focus of our church programs and activities goes beyond our being comforted and informed. May the well being of our sisters and brother around the world be at the for front of the gifts we gratefully place before you. Amen
Sending Forth and Blessing.
One: Go forth into the world to be salt and light wherever you Go in living out the love of God.
All: We depart with joy in our hearts and the intent to live by the best we know for Jesus the Christ the wisdom of God will be our strength and guide.
One: You are supported and strengthened by God’s love and by the family of faith of which you are a part. Rejoice and be glad, for God is with us.
VU 4
God of all places present unseen
Voice in our silence song in our mist
Send us your people knowing and sure
Called to spread the word.
amen amen amen
Yesterdaywe honour our heritage.
Todaywe know that we are not alone,that we live in God's world.
Tomorrowwith God,we will discoverthe undiscovered country.
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