We have been talking about the state of the United Methodist Church for months now, but the reality is that most churches are experiencing this decline in membership. I know in this situation it is normal for regular church goers to feel depleted, disappointed and spent.

This past Sunday we looked at Matthew 5:13-20, the well known passage on salt and light. I want to take a closer look on what Jesus says about being the light of the world.

Beloveds, last Sunday we meditated on the “Beatitudes” of Jesus and I have not been able to forget the fact that Jesus was preparing his disciples to be called names and insulted and rejected when they will do what Jesus was preparing them to do -- to feed the hungry, to care for the needy, to tend to the sick, to speak against the injustices of the empire and to stand with the least, the last, and the forgotten.