{"id":692541,"date":"2026-01-13T11:54:52","date_gmt":"2026-01-13T16:54:52","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2026-06-24T12:41:42","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T16:41:42","slug":"point-to-god-epiphany-5-a-february-8-2026","status":"publish","type":"sermon","link":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/sermons\/point-to-god-epiphany-5-a-february-8-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Point to God, Epiphany 5 (A) \u2013 February 8, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-342541_92562c-7c .kt-block-spacer{height:60px;}.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-342541_92562c-7c .kt-divider{border-top-width:2px;border-top-color:#84BD00;width:100%;border-top-style:solid;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-342541_92562c-7c\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\"\/><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/playlist.megaphone.fm?e=DFMS2145549745&#038;light=true\" width=\"100%\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-342541_298912-78 .kt-block-spacer{height:60px;}.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-342541_298912-78 .kt-divider{border-top-width:2px;border-top-color:#84BD00;width:100%;border-top-style:solid;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-342541_298912-78\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\"\/><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>[RCL] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/lectionary\/epiphany-5a\/\">Isaiah 58:1-9a, [9b-12]; Psalm 112:1-9, (10); 1 Corinthians 2:1-12, [13-16]; Matthew 5:13-20<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Have you ever messed up the salt in a recipe? Whether you\u2019re cooking or baking, you know how it goes: Everything is perfectly measured, weighed, balanced. The timing is right; the technique solid.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And then you take that final taste and it\u2019s\u2026off. It\u2019s either too salty\u2014the mouth-puckering physical reaction of salt on the tongue, followed quickly by the emotional reaction of a ruined dish. Or it\u2019s not salty enough\u2014the flavors flat and dull, nothing really distinguishing itself. One-dimensional. Boring.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Few recipes or chefs would advertise a dish by saying,&nbsp;<em>\u201cThis tastes like salt!\u201d<\/em>&nbsp;And yet salt is found in nearly everything. Because what salt does best is work with other flavors. It enhances what is already there, draws flavor out, holds flavor together. Yet salt doesn\u2019t work in a vacuum, alone on a plate. Salt doesn\u2019t work in isolation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Epiphany-5A-sermon-FB-title-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-342542\" style=\"width:512px\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Matthew\u2019s version of the Sermon on the Mount that we hear today, Jesus calls the people \u201cthe salt of the earth.\u201d This teaching comes immediately after the Beatitudes, that part where he says, \u201cBlessed are the meek\u2026 the merciful\u2026 the poor in spirit.\u201d Right after these blessings, Jesus tells the people\u2014and us, of course\u2014<em>You are the salt of the earth.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not the hero flavor, but absolutely essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He also tells them: \u201cYou are the light of the world.\u201d And, unsurprisingly, Jesus does not describe a light in isolation, but rather a light that exists for and within the world. He says,&nbsp;<em>\u201cLet your light shine before others,\u201d<\/em>&nbsp;not so that they may admire you, but&nbsp;<em>\u201cso that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.\u201d<\/em>&nbsp;The light that comes from Jesus\u2019s love is not meant to be hidden or hoarded. It cannot exist in a vacuum or in isolation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The point of the salt is not the salt itself.<br>The point of the light is not the light itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The point is God\u2019s glory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Neither salt nor light makes sense on its own. Salt only works in relationship with other ingredients. Light shines so that others can see. Jesus\u2019s metaphors are about community, not individualism. They assume connection, relationship, interdependence: an ecosystem, not a solo performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This truth matters because Jesus\u2019s teachings\u2014his life, and the many interpretations of what it means to follow him today\u2014can sometimes feel heavy. Christianity can begin to feel like a list of obligations: duties to perform, rules to follow, disciplines to maintain. We may feel the weight of responsibility and effort pressing down on us. Our human impulse toward shame and secrecy can make living as a Christian feel like constantly failing a test, as if we are unworthy of grace and love because we haven\u2019t done enough, or done well enough. The cycle of guilt can be lonely and isolating.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But remember the Collect appointed for today: \u201cSet us free, O God, from the bondage of our sins, and give us the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.&nbsp;<em>Amen.\u201d&nbsp;<\/em>It speaks not of burden, but of freedom. Liberty. Abundance.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even within that tightrope walk of relationship and responsibility, there is freedom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The prophet Isaiah lays right into it. He calls out religious leaders who have leaned too far into obligation and legalism, but forgotten the abundant spaciousness that comes from God. He names the fasting, self-inflicted oppression, and penitence that serve only one\u2019s own self and reputation. Spiritual disciplines like fasting and penitence can be healthy, meaningful, and life-giving, but only if they point to God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The messages we receive from the prophet Isaiah and the Messiah Jesus are the same: Do not perform righteousness for show. Don\u2019t act so that people can see your good works, but to give glory to God in heaven. Let your actions loosen the bonds of injustice. Let them feed the hungry, shelter the oppressed, and clothe the naked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The freedom we seek as Christians, as followers of Christ, is bigger than ourselves, and our own self-righteousness. The goal of our life isn\u2019t to be free in the sense of being able to do whatever we want, without consequence. The freedom we seek\u2014through our spiritual practices and prayers and worship and teaching and learning\u2014is freedom from oppression for&nbsp;<em>all<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What good is fasting if we ignore the hungry?<br>What good is penitence if we ignore those who are tortured?<br>What good is religious devotion if we turn away from the poor, the lonely, the sick, the forgotten?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The freedom we desire is that&nbsp;<em>all people<\/em>&nbsp;may know they are loved, safe, protected, and nourished\u2014spiritually, yes, but also physically, emotionally, and mentally. If we are all connected in the spiritual ecosystem of this broken and hurting world, then one person oppressed affects each one of us.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is tempting to leave the reading from Matthew with the image of the city on a hill. But after his discussion of salt and light, Jesus cautions us against taking God\u2019s freedom as a free-for-all. The freedom Jesus brings isn\u2019t to say that \u201cnone of those old laws matter anymore,\u201d but rather to remind us that the law must always point to God. Jesus is famous for re-interpreting the ancient religious law in ways that challenge religious leaders, and that\u2019s the kind of freedom he brings when he says,&nbsp;<em>\u201cI have come not to abolish but to fulfill.\u201d<\/em>&nbsp;He\u2019s saying, follow the law. Do the rites and rituals. They matter. But don\u2019t do it for show, for self-righteousness, or for attention. They only matter when they serve justice and life for the whole world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Does your life point to God\u2019s freedom?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Look at your calendar\u2014how you spend your time.<br>Your budget\u2014how you spend your money.<br>Your relationships\u2014who receives your energy and care.<br>The way you travel, where you shop, how you vote, who you listen to and speak with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do these choices point toward the glory of God in heaven?<br>Do they bring love and justice for the poor, the oppressed, the lonely, the sick?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Look at your spiritual practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your prayer life\u2014does it exist only privately, or only at the dinner table when guests arrive?<br>Your Bible study\u2014does it draw you deeper into Scripture and community, or become another excuse for gossip?<br>Your&nbsp;&nbsp;intentions\/fasts\/resolutions\u2014do they bring you closer to God, or are you using religious disciplines as an excuse to diet?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ways we welcome, serve, learn, and connect at church matter. All of our rites and rituals, our traditions and beliefs, are gifts that God has given to us. They simply must point to God, and not ourselves (or our buildings, our legacy, our reputation).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We have been set free from self-righteousness, from the tally sheet of sin, from the law of restriction, by Jesus Christ, through his radical, world-shaking love. We are neither heroes nor expendable\u2014but we are essential in the community of God\u2019s church and God\u2019s world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whatever we do, may we do it in such a way that all glory is given to God in heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>The Rev. Anna Sutterisch<\/em><\/strong><em>&nbsp;is passionate about new ways of being and doing church, and is excited about sharing the Gospel in a way that is relevant and life-changing to today\u2019s people in today\u2019s world. Rev. Anna holds degrees in English and Viola Performance from Baldwin Wallace University and Conservatory, and is a proud graduate of Bexley Seabury Seminary, where she serves on the Board of Directors. She is honored and humbled to serve as the priest at St. Martin&#8217;s Episcopal Church in Chagrin Falls, a small, strong congregation that loves liturgy, God, and our neighbors, and tries to bring Christ&#8217;s light and life into a broken and hurting world. She lives in Cleveland with her spouse (also a parish priest), their two small boys, and two cats, and loves to run, cook, and eat vegetables.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-file\"><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-db900ea9-64e2-4a0a-80f8-da497e113b54\" href=\"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Epiphany-5A-Sermon.docx\">Word &#8211; Epiphany 5A Sermon<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Epiphany-5A-Sermon.docx\" class=\"wp-block-file__button wp-element-button\" download aria-describedby=\"wp-block-file--media-db900ea9-64e2-4a0a-80f8-da497e113b54\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-file\"><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-3b0e9a8b-3c0f-47d3-bd45-dbe8e4e6bdec\" href=\"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Epiphany-5A-Sermon.pdf\">PDF &#8211; Epiphany 5A Sermon<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Epiphany-5A-Sermon.pdf\" class=\"wp-block-file__button wp-element-button\" download aria-describedby=\"wp-block-file--media-3b0e9a8b-3c0f-47d3-bd45-dbe8e4e6bdec\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[RCL] Isaiah 58:1-9a, [9b-12]; Psalm 112:1-9, (10); 1 Corinthians 2:1-12, [13-16]; Matthew 5:13-20 Have you ever messed up the salt in a recipe? Whether you\u2019re cooking or baking, you know how it goes: Everything is perfectly measured, weighed, balanced. The timing is right; the technique solid.&nbsp; And then you take that final taste and it\u2019s\u2026off&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_tec_requires_first_save":true,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_tribe_blocks_recurrence_rules":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_description":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_exclusions":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[32,43,52,3],"tags":[146],"class_list":["post-692541","sermon","type-sermon","status-publish","hentry","category-epiphany","category-sermons","category-sermons-that-work","category-worship-and-prayer-menu","tag-epiphany-5a"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":32,"label":"Epiphany"},{"value":43,"label":"Sermons"},{"value":52,"label":"Sermons That Work"},{"value":3,"label":"worship_and_prayer_menu"}],"post_tag":[{"value":146,"label":"Epiphany 5A"}]},"featured_image_src_large":false,"author_info":[],"comment_info":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sermon\/692541","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sermon"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/sermon"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sermon\/692541\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":948018,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sermon\/692541\/revisions\/948018"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=692541"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=692541"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=692541"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}