​

Sunday February 5th
​Fourth Sunday After Epiphany
at 11:00 AM

Rev. Christopher Ponniuraj, Minister

​ Restoring Beauty

View Sunday’s Bulletin 

John Strybos, Music Director
​
Chancel Choir:  Eliza Bonet, Lauren Mitchell,
Robert Orbach & Susie Reisinger
 
Our Friendship and Fellowship Coffee Hour
will be held in Bodge Lounge following Worship.
​
Come and share the joy of Christ’s love with us.
​

       February 5, 2023         
Fifth Sunday After Epiphany
A Short  Sermon
 Restoring Beauty
​from Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
​

The Gospel passage for this Sunday St. Matthew 5:13-20, is the continuation of Sermon on the Mount. In this passage Jesus said you are the Salt and the light. We are the salt, the silent work of influence and the light, the visible manifestation of God in people’s lives.

The Salt and the Light are the two things that the value seems so insignificant but are part of our survival. We either complain because there are too much of these two things or we want more of these. When salt is added in the food it is hardly seen. Yet too little of it you can taste the difference and too much of it can ruin your food. The light is visible, it is needed during the night or when it is dark. Yet too much of it in the morning will make you say, “Turn it off” yet too little of it can make you feel unsafe. The salt and light works as salt comes into contact with the food and the light is turned on.

In the Sermon on the Mount we learned that the Beatitudes are the elements of Christian life. But the next section deals with the Christian influence. As Christians, people should be merciful or peacemakers and pure in heart, which will have a tremendous influence in the lives of those who have not given their heart to God.

Whenever a city was defeated the custom was to throw salt throughout the city. This meant that the city had been separated from its past. Elisha used salt to purify the water of Jericho.  As we read in II Kings 2:20-21 “Bring me a new bowl,” he said, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.” The normal procedures when a child was born the child will be rubbed with salt, as we read in Ezekiel 16: 4 “On the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths”. 
In the Bible times and till today salt is used for seasoning our food. Who likes to eat food without salt? Even though salt is so small and yet hardly noticeable it makes a difference when applied to the substance. In order for our lives to be a living sacrifice for God, our body must be preserved and seasoned with the righteousness of Christ. Salt was also used to preserve food. During the old Biblical times they did not have the refrigeration systems that we have today. Salt was also used to have a covenant relationship we read in Numbers 18:19 “It is a covenant of salt forever before the Lord with you and your descendants with you.” So salt also represented a relationship. “It represented hospitality that cemented on friendship” There is an Eastern saying “There is salt between us”
 
Jesus said you are the Salt of the Earth; what did Jesus mean by this statement? View the entire short sermon.
​
​Peace and Blessings
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ponnuraj
Minister

​


​​Please don’t forget our ongoing collection of
​non-perishable food
​​for the Yonkers Food Pantry!

​Our Mission:
West Center Congregational Church seeks to worship the Living God, being led by the Holy Spirit, to carry on the work of Jesus Christ in justice, peace, simplicity and unity.​
Stillspeaking

It's the shorter form of "God is still speaking," a campaign by the United Church of Christ to remind us that God still has a lot more to say. Since 2004, Stillspeaking has worked with thousands of UCC churches and individuals across the country to make religion relevant again and to extend an extravagant welcome to all--
​because no matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey,
you're welcome here.
​ Here at West Center Congregational,
​ United Church of Christ.


​Where the Doors of the Church swing open
​on the hinges of love and peace!
​

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101 Pondfield Road West Bronxville, NY 10708

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​Contact us:

Church Office: 101 Pondfield Road West,
Bronxville, NY 10708
Email: westcenterucc@verizon.net
​Phone: (914) 337-3829