For the 5th Sunday after Epiphany, Rev. Cari preached a sermon that jumped from the prophetic text, Isaiah 58:1-12, to the Gospel, Matthew 5:13-20. The prophet poses the question “Why should we practice our faith, if God doesn’t seem to be paying attention and everything remains the same?” And though Rev. Cari spent a bit of time on all the ways it seems the world is not moving in the direction of healing and fullness of life, the sermon did turn to Jesus’ naming of the disciples as “salt of the earth” and “light of the world.”

These names, she pointed out, flow from the Beatitudes and are intended as a “blessing” to the church, not as a command or a “should.” These core identity statements serve to introduce the purpose of the church and offer encouragement when we might be tired, or a bit cynical, or less than hopeful. So if you have ever asked the question “Why bother?” then this sermon may offer a bit of encouragement in the practice of faith in our complex world today.