Worship on the Lord’s Day
10:00 am 09 June 2024
Online & Onsite (Mixed Presence) Gathering as a Worshipping Community
Youth-led Service: Rom, Wesley, Matthew, Felix, Godfrey, Cohen, Marilyn, Maddie, Bianca, Kaye, John, Sam, Arghavan, Nejabastian, Corrie, Shaylynn, Tassen, Noah
Minister: The Rev Brad Childs
Music director: Binu Kapadia Vocalist: Lynn Vaughan
Elder: Rom Rhoad
We gather to worship God
Music prelude
Greeting
L: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
P: and also with you.
Lighting of the Christ candle
Welcome and announcements
Silent preparation for worship
Call to Worship
L: Welcome to this place of grace and care; of hope and perseverance
P: God invites all of us to be a part of the beloved community
L: God invites us to share in the good news
P: We are welcome just as we are
L: And loved too much to stay that way
P: Let us praise the One in gratitude for all things.
Opening praise: Bless the Lord, O my soul
Prayers of approach and confession
God of all creation, we are amazed at the details in your world around us.
You care for the fragile beauty and balance in the world.
You receive praise from the depth of the sea to the tops of the mountains.
God of love – you have seen your Church grow from tiny beginnings into a worldwide community, full of diversity.
Open our eyes to your purpose for each of us, all of us.
Help us to be guided by your Holy Spirit to do your will in the name of Christ Jesus, our Lord.
God of purpose and possibility, you give us work to do.
And you give us the skills we need to do what you ask of us.
Yet we prefer to follow our own ways and to do our own thing.
We think we know better than you.
Forgive our stubborn natures and our unwillingness to love and care for all creation as we should.
By the power of your Holy Spirit, create in us a teachable spirit so we can learn new ways to serve you, becoming the people you know we can be.
Response: We come to ask your forgiveness, O Lord
Assurance of God’s love
The prophet Micah reminds us that God requires three things of us: to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God.
To all who love God and seek to love our neighbours in kindness and humility, God offers forgiveness and peace.
The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ is with you all.
We listen for the voice of God
Response: Jesus, we are gathered
Story Time
Story: More than Salt (Corrie)
Introduction: As you entered the sanctuary you were given a little packet of salt… take that in your hand now and imagine if you were compared to salt! How would that feel? (pause)
You are loved more than salt! Really?
Now let’s hear a story –
Once upon a time, a long time ago, when most stories begin, there was a kingdom far away, where most kingdoms are. In this kingdom, there lived a king with three loyal knights. Now, this king was a fairly ordinary man, sometimes wise, sometimes foolish. He trusted his knights and made certain they wanted for nothing. One day, the king wanted to know how much his knights loved him.
He put the question to them.
“My loyal knights, I crave to know how much you love me. Pray, tell.”
The first knight to speak said. “My liege, I love you more than gold or silver.” (place a bar of gold/silver on sidestep of platform?)
The king was pleased that he loved him more than such valuable things, and smiled at him.
The second knight, spoke next. “My liege, I love you more than diamonds and pearls, more than rubies and emeralds, or any other gem.” (place jewels on sidestep of platform?)
Again, the king was pleased to be loved more than such precious things.
He looked to his third, and most beloved, knight.
“My liege, I love you more than salt.” He spoke simply, quietly. (Place a bag of salt on the communion table in the centre)
More than salt? More than salt?! The king was displeased. He couldn’t believe his most beloved knight had compared him to something so common and coarse as salt. The king was angry, thinking of all the gifts he’d lavished on this knight. Such was his rage that he exiled him from the kingdom. The knight left without saying a word, simply carrying away small packets of salt in his pocket.
The Knight traveled to the next kingdom, where he worked as a shepherd.
Meanwhile, in the king’s kingdom, something strange happened. As soon as the knight had crossed the border, all the salt began to disappear. At first, no one noticed. There was NO salt for their meat, NO salt for their broth, NO salt for their bread. Soon the people realized that NO new salt was coming into the kingdom. No matter how hard the caravans, ships, or gypsy traders tried, they could NOT bring salt beyond the border.
After a while, the king fell ill. As he grew weaker, sicker, the royal physicians puzzled out what could be wrong. Finally, they decreed that the king needed salt, or he would perish. Until then, no one knew that salt was necessary for life. Tales of the king’s plight reached beyond the borders, from town to town, and finally to a simple shepherd’ hut. When the knight heard of his king’s illness, he went to him. He carried nothing with him but the clothes he wore and his bag of salt. For long days, he walked, until he reached the palace. He made his way to his king’s room, where he slept fitfully, close to death.
The knight kissed the king on his boney hand and sat beside him. He cut a piece of bread, buttered it, and sprinkled salt over it. He managed to sit him up and coaxed the bread into him. The king slept again, and woke a short time later, a little stronger. The knight called for broth, sprinkled salt in it, and encouraged the king to eat. He regained his strength slowly, after that, until he was well. He again sat on his throne and kept his knight close by.
“My loyal knight, can you forgive a foolish king?”
“Of course, my liege. I cherish you.” The knight meant it, too.
From that moment on, salt flowed freely into the kingdom once more.
The king never looked down on salt again, and he knew that his most beloved knight loved him best of all, for when he said “I love you more than salt.” he meant that he loved him more than that which gives life, which is a great love indeed.
Silent Actors:
- King – Matthew (special chair, crown, sceptre, ice bag when ill…)
- Knight #1 – Felix (spear/sword, knight vest, gold bar
(after bringing the king his treasures, Knight #1 stands beside the king… and will help the king when sick)
- Knight #2 – Godfrey (spear/sword, knight vest, jewels – gems
(after bringing the king his treasures, Knight #2 stands beside the king… and will help the king when sick)
- Knight #3 – Cohen (knight vest, salt… will need to pretend for bread…)
(after bringing king salt, he is banished. Pointed out by other 2 knights… comes back)
Song: Jesus bids us shine (773)
Today’s Message
Scripture reading: Matthew 5:13-16
Music Offering: Binu, Arghavan, John, and Sam
Message: You are salt … or Beef Jerky
Part 1 – Wesley
About 2000 some years ago a very special guy named Jesus, was walking around Palestine. JESUS was a common name for Hebrew boys, but this Jesus was extra special! Matthew was one of his closest friends, and it is believed that Matthew wrote a book about his friend Jesus. This is the Gospel of Matthew that we just read from this morning.
Mathew shows Jesus to be a pretty regular guy, but he gives this outrageous story about his birth and magi coming to visit. Then Matthew talks about John the baptizer, and he says Jesus was tempted like any other person. Matthew talks about Jesus calling his disciples (a word for student-learners) and then the next thing Matthew remembers is that Jesus is up on a mount giving a group of ordinary people small sermons. We call this the Sermon on the Mount. Over the past few months, the youth here in Dayspring have been learning about some of these ideas in this sermon on the mount.
This sermon begins with the words of the beatitudes (which is Latin for “happy). This peasant-teacher – Jesus – is telling the crowd that’s gathered that people who feel sad, are blessed… that people who have lost someone they love can find comfort… that people who have no power will inherit a Kingdom… that people who seek peace are called “children of God”… and that even when people are tortured for their faith that they are blessed.
The people listening to Jesus were ordinary people – the peasants, the poor, the farmers, the people who were under the domination of another nation, forced to obey the Roman law and they did not have many freedoms. Jesus is telling them things that they had never heard before. In their minds rich people were blessed. But this crazy Jesus, from Nazareth guy told them… “Blessed are the poor”!
It was crazy, unheard-of, shocking, life-altering things that Jesus was saying.
Part 2 – Maddie
Today these words sound simple, and we don’t pay much attention to them. But think about how wild this is… “Blessed are you, who people insult, and hurl insults at”. Blessed are the people that the world makes fun of?!
But that’s what Jesus said. These common, everyday people are blessed, even when they are poor or sad or sick or judged or dominated by the Romans, needing justice or whatever…
Jesus tells them that they are blessed because GOD loves them more than they can ever imagine. Being loved by God makes them as important to God as salt is to humans, as beef jerky is to me.
After Jesus tells them how much he loves them, he reveals something even more spectacular. People are important! Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth. Or, as I like to say, “You are beef jerky!”
Part 3 – Marilyn
Now really! Why is that spectacular? Who wants to be compared to salt?
Do you?
Maddie responds: “I do!”
Wesley responds: “Me too!”
Marilyn:
WHY do you want to be “salt of the earth”? (pause)
Salt is the mineral that God created to be a necessity of life. Salt is essential for the survival of living things. We heard the importance of salt in the story about the King and his 3 knights. Living things – animals such as cows and horses, lick blocks of salt to obtain the nutrients and minerals they require to live.
In Jesus’ day salt was a precious and valuable commodity. Indeed, salt was so valuable that it was sometimes traded ounce-for-ounce with gold. At times, Roman soldiers were even paid in salt. The word salary is derived from the word for salt. According to some people, If a Roman soldier didn’t do his job, he wouldn’t get all of his salt. That’s where we get the phrase, “He is not worth his salt,” if someone doesn’t do a good day’s work. In the Palestine of the past, much of the salt came from the Dead Sea or in Hebrew it means, “The Sea of Salt.” It was like a pool of gold.
In cultures lacking refrigeration, salt was the key preservative which allowed a thriving fishing industry to flourish. In an age before modern drugs, salt was a critical disinfectant which saved untold numbers of lives. For example, I would use salt in warm water to rid myself of a throat infection.
Maddie: Salt is a seasoning spice that transforms food from distasteful or bland to palatable and delicious. When I make chocolate chip cookies I make sure to add a little sprinklin’ of flaky sea salt on top.
Are there other ways that salt is special?
Marilyn: This wild Jesus character just says “You are the salt of the earth.”
Let’s take a moment and open those brown bags you were each given when you came into the sanctuary today… (hold up a brown bag)
Does anyone not have a bag?
(Have a couple of youth ready to distribute some bags to people who might not have received them…WAIT here – take time for everyone to open their bags.
You will notice there are baggies containing popcorn but one has NS written on it – “NO salt on the popcorn.” Please take this baggie first – and eat it (WAIT!!!! For people to do this…)
Now take the second baggie of popcorn and eat it; it has salt on it. (WAIT for people to do this)
Maddie: I like this one with salt on it.
Wesley: Yes, this one is better!
Marilyn: Which one did you like better? (Pause… there may be some responses…) I think MOST would agree that the salted popcorn tastes better.
Part 4 – Wesley
“You are the salt of the earth”.
Jesus looks out to a crowd of people and says, “You know that thing that preserves our food and keeps us from dying. That thing that takes a dull life and bland food and makes it exciting… That thing that is more precious than silver or gold – that’s you! You are that salt!
You are the salt of the earth. This is how we are to BE – salting the earth…sharing God’s love with everyone, preserving the goodness, taking care of God’s world and God’s people. As salt we will make things better, bring joy into sadness, give understanding instead of judgement, accept all our neighbours whomever they are.
But then Jesus puts to the people a small challenge. He says “But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything.”
Part 5 – Maddie
For those of you not on familiar with the land of Palestine – The Sea of Salt is more than a mile and a half below sea level. The waters of The Sea of Galilee flow into the Jordan River and from there go to their final resting place in The Sea of Salt – the lowest land elevation on earth. So once the water gets there, there’s no place to go. The hot sun evaporates the water and leaves behind a chunky white powder made up of a combination of salt and minerals. That powder contains enough salt to season meat or to flavour soup, and that’s why people used to get their salt from The Dead Sea. But it’s also mixed with minerals and it’s not pure sodium chloride – it was a quite unstable compound. When it was stored in a damp environment or even when mixed with a little dampness in the air it would frequently begin to dissipate. That’s the surface meaning of Jesus’ word. That’s how the salt “loses its seasoning.” Jesus goes on to say, “It is good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.”
Part 6 – Marilyn
But honestly that Jesus fella was on to something. I mean if we are really, actually, truly blessed… then why not share that love? Why would we NOT be salt of the earth? Why would we NOT help to make this world a better/brighter place filled with Gods’ love? Why NOT be salty?
At the same time Jesus never said that you BEING salt gives you your worth. Living as the salt of the earth does NOT make us more important. Jesus never says that you gain anything by your sharing. He does say that people will see God in you and that is a great thing. But Jesus never promises to add blessings to you because you live as the salt of the earth.
And Jesus would never ever say that… because to JESUS, we are already Salt. There are no conditions to God’s love. WE are already, no matter how normal or lowly we think we are – WE are blessed because God loves us more than we can ever imagine.
No matter what you do or don’t with this message: You are Salt.
Maddie: You are beef jerky!
Marilyn: You are loved! Amen
Song: Lord, the light of your love is shining (376)
Our time of giving
Reflection on giving: When we look at God’s world around us, we see the beginning of new growth and our gardens will soon be plentiful. We see God’s abundant care for us. We also know that God asks us to care for all Creation. We know that there are many people around the world that do not have enough food or clean water. Through World vision, we are sponsoring Joshua and his family who live in El Salvador.
Today we will take up two offerings.
Our regular offering can be given in as is our normal practice.
If you are able, please feel free to add some coins to this can or donate by putting an envelop in the offering plate labelled with this special donation. May we give out of our abundance to those in need.
Prayer of Dedication
God of growing gardens and growing hope, receive our gifts and our thanks this day. Bless what we bring and what we do, so that we become salt of the earth, in Jesus’ name. AMEN
Prayer of gratitude and for others and ourselves.
Embrace the world you love.
Bianca
God of grace and compassion, We offer you our thanks for all that we have, for our friends and families, our neighbours and fellow citizens. We name before you those whom we love. We are thankful that they are in our lives. We know that your love touches the depths of their needs and celebrates the joys of their journeys:
Keep silent for 6 seconds.
God of grace and compassion,
(Together: Bianca and Kaye) – Embrace the world you love.
Bianca
As part of YOUR Church, we celebrate our Dayspring community, where we worship together and grow in our faith in Jesus Christ. We are challenged to live what we learn and what we believe you ask of us. Make us aware of opportunities to serve you both in this church and in the world beyond these walls. Give us the courage to reach out to more neighbours where there is human need. Help us to BE salt of the earth, in Jesus’ name.
Keep silence for 6 seconds.
God of grace and compassion,
(Together: Bianca and Kaye) – Embrace the world you love.
Kaye:
God of all people, we think of neighbours in Canada and in other places in the world who are facing ongoing conflict and violence, those who crowd together in refugee compounds and homeless encampments, or who face the consequences of nature’s unpredictable destruction (fire, floods, violence wind, earthquakes).
We join our prayers with those who are desperately seeking to survive, wherever they find themselves: Give us courage and commitment to meet the greatest challenges. Inspire our hope to work and live as we seek to love all our neighbours.
Keep silence for 6 seconds.
God of grace and compassion,
(Together: Kaye and Bianca) – Embrace the world you love.
Kaye:
As summer approaches, and your creation changes around us, we give you thanks for beauty in your world, for the living and nonliving things.
Thank you for the chance to participate in your creation – walking, biking, camping, swimming and all the recreational activities we can enjoy.
Yet we know that we sometimes forget how we are guilty of misusing these gifts and we damage your creation with our selfish ways and careless actions.
Show us how to act for justice with compassion so that all your creation is precious, and all your peoples are cared for as we show love to all our neighbours in the world.
Keep silence for 6 seconds.
We know in our hearts that you love us and that you offer us your grace and compassion. So, loving God, we offer these and all our unspoken prayers in the name of Jesus Christ, who taught us to say together …
The Lord’s Prayer
Song: I’m gonna live so God can use me (648)
Sending out with God’s blessing
Friends – Keep your eyes open as you walk in God’s world. Look for ways to share God’s love. And may the God who loves you more than Salt, The Christ who flavours you as salt, And the Spirit who gives us life, empower you to BE salt of the earth. Amen.
Response: Go forth into the world
Music postlude
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Numbers in brackets after a song/hymn indicate that it is from the 1997 Book of Praise of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Those and other songs are being used in accordance with the specifications of Dayspring’s licensing with One License (3095377) and CLC (A735555).
The Rev. Brad Childs and Elder Darlene Eerkes retain the copyright (© 2024) on all original material in this service. As far as they are aware, all of the material that has not been attributed to others is their own creation or is in the public domain. Unacknowledged use of copyrighted material is unintentional and will be corrected immediately upon notification being received.