Dear Centenarians,
What a "Super Sunday" we experienced at Centenary on Feb. 6th!
The morning worship was guided by the Gospel lesson from Matthew 5, wherein Jesus says, "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored?...."
Our worship was followed by a "Souper Bowl Sunday" lunch that showcased 15 delicious homemade soups made by our youth and their parents. It was evident to this connoisseur that there were more seasonings than just salt used in these soups, as they each had a distinctive, dynamic and tasty flavor!
An exciting Super Bowl game capped off the afternoon for those who watched it on the Centenary "wide-screen" in the social hall. The fellowship also included more than a few snacks that certainly retained (and exceeded) their salty taste!
Now, you don't need to be "into" the Super Bowl, or even football, to see where I'm going with this. The Christian life is meant to be lived in a way that brings out meaning and purpose. Jesus tells his followers that at this very moment they are salt – cleansing, preserving, adding flavor to everything they do.
In the same way that salt (or any spice) adds a certain 'kick' to a recipe, so also are we as Christians called to add that same 'kick' to our living and the lives of others around us.
The good news of Jesus is that he came to give life ("bios") to those who listen and are willing to follow him. When we are willing to live out our faith in this way, life becomes an exciting journey that has meaning and purpose. It's the difference between eating something bland and tasteless, as opposed to eating something with flavor and zest.
"You are the salt of the earth," Jesus said. Let's live our lives in ways that preserve the goodness of God's creation, while at the same time creating new flavor and meaning which reveal the Gospel of Jesus as life-giving and life-affirming to all.
Grace and Peace,
Reverend Mark M. Nakagawa
