For January Barefoot Tattler

For January Barefoot Tattler

Rev. Jeff Wood, First Presbyterian Church of Sebastian

WeLoveFirst.org & Facebook.com/welovefirstsebastian

• Tasting Salt & Light, Be Salt & Light, and Know God

  Two very different realities – I will be versus God has made me be, I will do versus God has done, Earn versus Receive, Imperative versus Indicative, You should versus You are.  Everyone.  At the same time, humble faith realizes that it essentially can only be none of me and all of Him.  Paul said, “All of my righteousness is like filthy rags.”  (Phil. 3:8; Also Isaiah 6:4)  None of my “good efforts” make the necessary difference but all of his “good effort” does. tries to find a middle ground, a little-of-me and a little-of-God partnership.  That’s probably realistic

              God’s good effort brings this indicative according to Jesus — “You are the salt of the earth and you are the light of the world and you, being thus, bring out flavors to the tongue (and soul), and bring out sights to the eyes (and soul).”  That sounds exciting.  By bringing these out, you bring out God.  All this Jesus says in his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:13ff, see The Message translation).

  So taste and see creation around you and by doing so you will take the small, grand step of bringing God out.  To whom?  Everyone?  Probably first to you.  By tasting and seeing creation you start tasting and seeing the Creator.  (In our communion litany we say, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.”)

              Now a way of putting what I have just written is this — be what you are.  Not be what you should be but be what you are.  You are salt and you are light.  Don’t force this by your effort but let it come out of you by his grace. 

  Pastor Jeff Wood, First Presbyterian, 1405 Louisiana Ave, Sebastian, FL 32958 (772)589-5656]

  Welovefirst.org / facebook.com/welovefirstsebastian 

  Sunday Worship 10am; Wed Bible Study 9 am