The children’s message and sermon were combined today for the Intergenerational Worship experience. 

 

In the Gospel today we hear,

 

You are the salt of the earth. 

You are light of the world.  

 

Jesus was gathered on the hillside beside the Sea of Galilee. Many people were gathered with him. They wanted to hear what he had to say.  In their hearts and minds, in their gut, they could tell what he said really mattered. In their own lives, these words made a difference. The difference they made went far beyond their own lives.  

 

Jesus had just told them about how God blesses all people. Those people we expect but also the people who don’t expect. They too are blessed. God can be found in them.  Because of them we are blessed.

 

Today we hear Jesus telling the crowd more about being a blessing in the world. 

 

You are salt. You are light. 

Flavourful and bright!

 

 

LIGHT!

 

*Turn on a lights ie. flashlight, finger lasers, baptismal candle etc.

 

Now we all know what light does. 

That flashlight when you are camping. 

The light when you go into the basement. 

The candle you light when the power goes out.

The stars, sun and moon. 

 

Lights illuminates places and people. 

Helps us to see what is before us.

 

“Jesus tells us that we are little lights in the world 

and that the things we do make a big difference. 

Jesus tells us to share our light and 

let the whole world be brighter because we do.”       (Prayer from Sparks Curriculum)

 

When you were baptized, you were given a candle and some words were spoken to you.

 

Let your light so shine before others 

so that they may see your good works 

and glorify your father in heaven. 

 

What that means is:

The holy spirit will empower you to do amazing things. 

You will feel good about yourself because there is great purpose in doing God’s work. 

Remember to Give glory to God in all things.  Thanks God for helping me. 

Others will notice the good God can do through you do and say wow.  

God is so good. 

Look at all of those bright lights. 

Mikala, Max, Fiona, Isla, Lily, Jeremy, James, Gabrielle, Mateo, Noah

All of you gathered in the assembly.

 

Light illuminates and makes bright the world around  us.

 

(Adults -  There is a good book written by Barbara Brown Taylor called learning to walk in the Darkness.  I have it in my library. You are welcome to borrow it to read.)

 

We can also think of light in another way.

Light can also mean the opposite of heavy.

 

Example: Place heavy items on top of someone and remove the items.

 

Sometimes the world can place unnecessary burdens on people.

Burdens that weigh us down.

God doesn’t intend that to be the way.

 

In Isaiah we hear, 

Light breaks forth like the dawn and healing springs up….

 

Burdens are lightened and shared when: 

Bread is shared with the hungry.

When the homeless poor are given shelter.

When the naked are clothed.

To break the yoke.

Release the bonds of injustice. 

 

 

You are the salt. You are light.  

Flavourful and bright. 

 

 

SALT!

 

Jesus also told the people gathered on the hillside that they are the salt of the earth.

 

(A couple of grains of salt are placed on each kid's palms.)

 

Look at the little grains of salt place on your hand. 

 

We Jesus say, You are the salt of the earth. 

 

That’s confusing isn’t it, even for adults?  What exactly does that mean?

 

Well what does salt do?

 

Salt adds flavour to our food.  

Some foods taste better with a little bit of salt added.

 

Salt can make things buoyant like an egg in water or people in the dead sea. 

 

Salt can clean things.

 

Salt can melt ice.

 

Jesus telling us we are salt means that we act like salt in the world making life better for others.

 

 

God’s people flavour the world with:

Kindness, love, and compassion.

By helping, listening, and sharing.

By being a  friend to the child on the playground who is alone. 

As we’ve all been that child/adult at one point or another. 

We flavour the word by building each other up. 

By peaking truth in love.

 

Giving order to chaos.

 

Melting hard hearts.

Standing up for people who’ve been treated poorly, the oppressed.

Listening and speaking out against the injustice in the world.

 

 

“Jesus says, you are the salt of the earth.

A tiny grain of salt looks really small.

Sometimes we think we are too small to be important. 

We trust you to make our small love big,

So that we can make a difference.”             (Prayer from Sparks Curriculum)    

 

But Who ?

 

It’s likely that you know some people who are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Look around you at all of these people gathered here today. They are the salt and the light? 

Children’s voices are salt and light. 

 

We going to Listen to the Children.
These are some thoughts written by children form around the world. Some are from Canada. Others are from parts of the world were there are more challenges.      (from Kairos Epiphany Resource entitled Listen to the Children)

 

G:

My parents have taught me 

that we are God’s hands on earth.

Human’s must do the work 

of protecting the poor and the plant.

 

 

F:

If you can just make a difference to do one thing it goes on to another person and then another person and it keeps going.

 

L: 

If there is love, there is peace. We need to work together hand in hand to reach peace.

 

I: 

Safety is: you are not in danger. It feels great. I am safe.

 

M:

We are fortunate to celebrate our first Christmas together as family 

after 13 years of separation since my mom was a migrant worker.

I wish that other children would be reunited with their families.

 

 

M:

Freedom to play, is something that we are missing. 

 

J:

Peace for me starts from inside… 

being accepting of who you are as a person, 

so that you are able to accept others as they are..

no matter how different.

 

 

 

Examples of people being the light of the world and the salt of the earth.

 

Salt and light show us a better way to be together. 

 

 

You are the salt. You are light.  

Flavourful and bright. 

 

 

 

We are called to be light to each other!

 

This sounds like a command. And yes, it is a command. 

Be the light and salt.

But it is much more. 

It is what God has already done in you.

 

We do not hear, 

You will be the salt. 

You will be the light.

 

We hear, 

You are the salt.

You are the light.

 

God has made you special.  Each and everyone of you.  Children of God.  Loved. Called. Equipped. Marked with the cross of Christ forever.  

 

But there is more to it than each of you being special. 

There’s more to it than each of you being uniquely created in the image of God. 

 

Jesus says,  

You are the salt.

You are the light.

 

The you is just not about each of you individually, on your own.

The YOU is a very big you. 

It’s about all of us together. 

The body of Christ.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prayer from Listen to the Children a KAIROS Resource

Holy God, we give thanks for people and places that affirm children as full members of the community and society. 

 

Holy God, we listen to you as we listen to the children.

 

Holy God, we listen to you and your call to become like children

compassionate and spiritual

 

 

Holy God, we listen to you as we listen to the children

 

We pray that we play like children, make discoveries in the wonder of the world around us, 

and respond with thanksgiving and praise.

 

Holy God, we listen to you as we listen to the children

 

We pray our actions together will transform our lives and the world.

 

Holy God, we listen to you as we listen to the children

 

With grateful hearts we hear the unflinching voices of children speaking with conviction, with urgency, with passion, with knowledge, from experience, in trust and in faith. May we follow their example.  Amen