HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHY IT IS REALLY DIFFICULT TO EAT JUST ONE POTATO CHIP?

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHY ON A REALLY HOT DAY OUR BODIES DEMAND SOMETHING SALTY?

THINK OF ALL THE EXPRESSIONS IN COMMON PARLANCE THAT WE USE THAT INCLUDE SALT: “A GRAIN OF SALT"… "A PINCH OF SALT"… "RUB SALT IN THE WOUND"… "SALT AWAY"… “OLD SALT”… "SALT OF THE EARTH"… "TAKE IT WITH A GRAIN OF SALT"…

IT PROBABLY COMES AS NO SURPRISE THAT OUR BODIES ACTUALLY NEED SALT! WHAT WE MAY NOT KNOW IS THAT WE LITERALLY CANNOT SURVIVE WITHOUT SALT! NOT ONLY IS SALT IMPORTANT TO US IT IS VITAL TO OUR VERY EXISTENCE!

WE PROBABLY ALL KNOW THAT OUR TEARS ARE SALTY, THAT WHEN WE SWEAT OUR SKIN GETS SALTY, THAT IF WE TASTE OUR BLOOD IT TASTES SALTY! PERHAPS YOU DID NOT KNOW THAT IF WE WEIGH ABOUT 110 POUNDS, OUR BODY CONTAINS ABOUT 7 TABLESPOONS OF SALT WITHIN US… (I PRESUME THEN THAT IF WE ARE A BIT HEAVIER THAN 110 POUNDS, THAT THAT “NORMAL” AMOUNT OF SALT IN US INCREASES! :)) 7 TABLESPOONS! WHO KNEW!

THIS WEEK I LEARNED THAT OUR BODIES REQUIRE BETWEEN FIVE & TEN GRAMS OF SALT EVERY DAY TO STAY HEALTHY… THAT 5-10 GRAMS IS EQUIVALENT TO ABOUT 1 TEASPOON OF SALT A DAY - 1 TSP OF SALT DAILY!

SALT PLAYS A CRITICAL FUNCTION IN OUR BODIES: SALT ACTS AS A CLEANSER OF FLUIDS INTERNALLY. SALT ALSO HELPS MUSCLES & NERVES WORK PROPERLY; SALT ALSO HELPS REGULATE BLOOD PRESSURE. IT IS THE HORMONES IN OUR BODY THAT HELP OUR BODIES TO REGULATE HOW MUCH SALT & WATER IS NEEDED FOR EACH OF US AT ANY POINT IN TIME.

IF OUR BODIES HAVE TOO MUCH SALT THE EXCESS IS ELIMINATED. IF OUR BODIES HAVE TOO LITTLE SALT THEN THE BODY ELIMINATES MORE WATER IN ORDER TO PRESERVE THE RIGHT BALANCE OF CHEMICALS IN THE BODY. SALT PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE IN THE OVERALL DAILY HEALTH OF OUR BODIES!

IN MODERN TIMES WE OFTEN TEND TO THINK ABOUT SALT AS A NEGATIVE THING FOR US – HAVING TOO MUCH SALT IN OUR DIETS CAN BE A REAL PROBLEM FOR MANY OF US. EATING AS MANY PROCESSED & PREPARED FOODS AS WE DO HAD INCREASED OUR SALT INTAKE A LOT IN THIS COUNTRY. OUR BODIES DEMAND SALT TO KEEP THEM HEALTHY. THE AMERICAN FOOD INDUSTRY HAS PLAYED ON THAT NATURAL DEMAND FOR SALT & INCORPORATED MANY LARGE AMOUNTS OF SALT TO INCREASE BOTH THE FLAVOR & THE DEMAND FOR MORE OF THAT FOOD…

IN THE ANCIENT WORLD, HOWEVER, SALT WAS NOT READILY AVAILABLE AT THE CORNER GROCERY STORE… SALT WAS LITERALLY WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN GOLD... SALT WAS A VALUABLE COMMODITY… AND EVEN WITHOUT ALL THE SCIENTIFIC & BIOLOGICAL KNOWHOW THAT WE HAVE TODAY, FOLKS HAVE LONG KNOWN THAT SALT WAS ESSENTIAL FOR LIFE… SALT NOT ONLY MADE FOOD TASTE BETTER IT MADE US FEEL BETTER! SALT WAS ALSO ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY AS A FOOD PRESERVATIVE. IF YOU CAN REMEMBER BACK TO A TIME BEFORE REFRIGERATORS, YOU CAN REMEMBER HOW DIFFICULT IT WAS TO KEEP FOOD FROM SPOILING… WELL LONG AGO ANCIENT PEOPLES DISCOVERED THAT THE BEST WAY TO PRESERVE MEAT OR FISH WAS TO SALT IT…

SO - SALT IS NOT ONLY ESSENTIAL FOR LIFE; SALT WAS ALSO SUCH A VALUABLE COMMODITY THAT PEOPLE USED IT TO MAKE COVENANTS WITH ONE ANOTHER. FOR EXAMPLE: IF I WANTED TO MAKE A BINDING COVENANT WITH YOU, WE WOULD BOTH GET OUT OUR POUCHES OF SALT. I WOULD SPRINKLE A FEW GRAINS OF MY SALT IN YOUR BAG, & YOU WOULD DO THE SAME TO ME. THEN WE WOULD SHAKE EACH OF OUR BAGS OF SALT UP. MY "SALT" WOULD THEN BE MINGLED WITH YOUR "SALT"… THAT WOULD SIGNIFY THAT WE WERE BOUND IN COVENANT TO ONE ANOTHER…

SO WHY ALL THIS TALK ABOUT SALT TODAY?

AT THE END OF TODAY’S LESSON FROM MARK’S GOSPEL JESUS SAYS, “SALT IS GOOD; BUT IF SALT HAS LOST ITS SALTINESS, HOW CAN YOU SEASON IT? HAVE SALT IN YOURSELVES…” NOW JESUS PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW HOW VITAL SALT WAS FOR THE SURVIVAL OF OUR BODIES… JESUS DID KNOW & UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE VALUE OF SALT IN HIS CULTURE & ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN KEEPING FOLKS HEALTHY. JESUS ALWAYS USED PRACTICAL & CONCRETE EXAMPLES THAT FOLKS COULD RELATE TO AS HE TAUGHT… SALT WAS SOMETHING EVERYONE KNEW SOMETHING ABOUT!

SO WHEN JESUS SAID, “HAVE SALT IN YOURSELVES!” WHAT WAS HE GETTING AT? OUR LESSON FOR TODAY BEGINS AS JESUS TEACHES THE DISCIPLES THAT ANY HEALING WORK IS GOOD… NO MATTER WHO DOES THE HEALING OR HOW THEY DO THE HEALING – ALL HEALING WORK IS GOOD… JESUS ASSURES THE DISCIPLES & US THAT ALL HEALING WORK TAPS INTO GOD’S POWER! JESUS ASSERTS WITH CLARITY THAT HOW WE LIVE & WHAT WE DO WITH OUR LIVES MATTERS & HAS CONSEQUENCES…

JESUS AFFIRMS THAT LIVING A LIFE OF LOVING GOD WITH ALL OUR HEART, SOUL, MIND & STRENGTH AND ALSO LOVING OUR NEIGHBORS AS OURSELVES ARE THE TWO MOST CRITICAL RELATIONSHIPS FOR OUR LIVES.

NOTHING IS GREATER THAN THESE TWO RELATIONSHIPS – LOVING GOD & LOVING OUR NEIGHBORS… JESUS AFFIRMS THAT EVEN AN ACTION AS SIMPLE AS OFFERING ANOTHER A CUP OF WATER TO DRINK CAN BE A GIFT OF HEALING, A WAY TO DEMONSTRATE & SHARE GOD’S LOVE… JESUS IS ALWAYS ENCOURAGING US TO BE PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT OTHERS & WHO SHARE THE LOVE OF GOD WITH OTHERS - NO MATTER WHO THEY ARE!

THIS MORNING WE RECOGNIZE, HONOR, & CELEBRATE FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN MEMBERS OF THE ROCKY HILL CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST FOR 50 YEARS OR MORE! TODAY WE CELEBRATE THOSE WHO HAVE MADE AN ONGOING & FAITHFUL COMMITMENT TO THIS COMMUNITY OF FAITH! WE CELEBRATE THEIR LONGTIME DEVOTION TO THIS CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST & WE APPLAUD THEIR LIFELONG JOURNEYS OF FAITH… (IF WE COULD SHARE THE WISDOM OF ALL THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN LONG TIME MEMBERS HERE – IMAGINE ALL THE WISDOM & GOOD “SALT OF THE EARTH” WISDOM WE MIGHT HEAR!)

TODAY WE ALSO INVITE YOU TO RECALL SO MANY WHO HAVE BEEN A PART OF THIS WORSHIPPING COMMUNITY OF FAITH HERE FOR THE PAST 201 YEARS IN THIS BUILDING! THIS WEEK PAST MARKED THE 201ST YEAR OF CONTINUOUS USE OF THIS SANCTUARY SPACE FOR WORSHIP SINCE ITS COMPLETION & DEDICATION IN 1808… AND THE HISTORY HERE GOES EVEN FURTHER BACK, OF COURSE…

THIS CHURCH’S HISTORY STATES: “ON DECEMBER 19, 1720, 23 INHABITANTS OF ROCKY HILL PETITIONED A TOWN MEETING IN WETHERSFIELD TO GRANT SIXTY ACRES OF LAND FOR THE SETTLEMENT OF A MINISTER ‘IF EVER ANY BE SETTLED AMONGST US.’”

THIS CHURCH WAS OFFICALLY NAMED & ORGANIZED ON JUNE 7, 1727 AS THE THIRD CHURCH OF CHRIST IN WETHERSFIELD, STEPNEY PARISH. THIS CHURCH HAS BEEN GATHERED THEN, AS A WORSHIPPING BODY FOR 282 YEARS! (IT WAS BACK IN 1895 THAT THE CHURCH’S NAME WAS CHANGED TO ROCKY HILL CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.)

TODAY WE LOOK BACK AT THE HERITAGE & THE LEGAGY OF THIS CHURCH’S PEOPLE – THOSE WHO HAVE KEPT THE FAITH, THOSE WHO HAVE COME & THOSE WHO STAYED ON THROUGH GOOD TIMES & BAD… WE ALSO CELEBRATE THOSE WHO MAY HAVE JUST STARTED TO COME TO WORSHIP HERE IN RECENT MONTHS OR EVEN RECENT WEEKS! FOR THIS CHURCH COMMUNITY DOES INDEED CONTINUE TO DRAW IN NEW FOLKS! THIS CONGREGATION CONTINUES TO GROW & THRIVE AS IT MOVES INTO THE FUTURE!

THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST IS LIKE SALT TO OUR BODIES!
THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST IS ESSENTIAL FOR OUR LIVES!

THEOLOGIAN MARCUS BORG SUGGESTS,

"YOU CAN KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS AND STILL BE A JERK. BUT YOU CANNOT BE IN RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LIVING GOD WITHOUT BEING CONTINUALLY TRANSFORMED."

IT TAKES A CERTAIN COURAGE TO BE A MEMBER OF A CHURCH IN THE 21ST CENTURY! IT TAKES SALTINESS…

TODAY WE LOOK AROUND US & CELEBRATE ALL THOSE WHO HAVE HISTORY WITH THIS CHURCH! TODAY WE SEE THOSE FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN A PART OF THIS CONGREGATION FOR 50 YEARS OR MORE & WE ALSO LOOK BACK TO RECAL ALL THOSE WHO HAVE WORSHIPPED HERE IN THIS BUILDING FOR 201 YEARS… WE LOOK AROUND THIS WORSHIP SPACE & GIVE THANKS FOR THOSE WHO IMAGINED THE NEED FOR LAND & A PLACE FOR A LIVING CONGREGATION OF FAITH IN 1720 & THOSE WHO BUILT & DEDICATED THIS BUILDING 201 YEARS AGO… WE LOOK AROUND & WE SENSE THE SPIRIT OF ALL THOSE WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE US HERE…

IT HAS TAKEN A CERTAIN DEGREE OF COURAGE FOR THIS COMMUNITY OF FAITH TO SURVIVE THROUGH 282 YEARS… IT WILL TAKE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF COURAGE FOR THIS CHURCH TO MOVE INTO THE FUTURE & THE NEXT 282 YEARS…

IT TAKES COURAGE, FAITH, & YES, A CERTAIN SALTINESS TO BE HERE TODAY…

WE CELEBRATE ALL WHO HAVE THE COURAGE, THE FAITH & THE SALITNESS TO BE A DISCIPLE OF CHRIST THIS DAY!

AMEN