You are the salt of the earth — those words from Jesus, recorded in Matthew 5:13, were at the heart of the 10:00 AM Sunday liturgy I attended on February 15 at Russell United Church, a historic house of worship built in 1887. By the end of it, everyone walked away with savoury surprise gifts from Reverend Laurelle Callaghan: snack-size bags of quite irresistible potato chips to remind us that salt truly is indispensable.
Russell, a township with a population of 20,000, sits right on the eastern boundary of Ottawa. Russell United Church, located at 38 Mill Street, encompasses within it the legacies of two prior congregations: St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, the original stewards of the red-brick heritage church, and St. Paul’s Methodist Church. The United Church of Canada was born in 1925, and with it a newly amalgamated Protestant faith community in Russell. Today, Russell United Church uses both this more common name, as well as St. Andrew’s & St. Paul’s United Church, particularly in its liturgy and official communications.
The first press coverage of Russell United Church appeared in the January 30, 1928 issue of The Ottawa Citizen, where we can read about the reopening of a fully remodeled house of worship — one that the Citizen described as “a very fine church” that counted 300 registered members. On September 24, 1928, The Citizen once again reported on Russell United Church, this time on the newly added stained glass windows that honoured eight local men who died in the trenches and on blood-soaked battlefields of Europe. The paper noted that the church was “the scene of a beautiful and impressive service when the war memorial window commemorating the eight Russell men who made the supreme sacrifice during the Great War was unveiled in the presence of an assemblage that filled the church to overflowing. The presence of a group of officers from the Ottawa Cameron Highlanders in their bright and picturesque tartans added a particularly effective touch to the scene.”
Reverend A. P. Menzies, himself a veteran, served as the church’s minister. And Reverend H. L. Horsey, Chaplain of the Ottawa Cameron Highlanders, gave a sermon that the Citizen described as “most eloquent and moving.” In it, he said: “It is well to remember some of the strong virtues these men possessed who died for us, these lads ‘golden and brown’ who have taken their leave of us and are now just ’round the corner with the invisible.”
That military tradition continues at Russell United Church today. The current minister, the retired Lieutenant-Colonel and Reverend Laurelle Callaghan, was herself for decades a military chaplain, serving throughout Canada. In retirement, she now serves the pastoral needs of the community in Russell.
When I entered Russell United Church, two things struck me the most. First, the ornate stained glass windows on either side of the nave and in the chancel are beautiful and beautifully preserved. Second, this is a very friendly congregation. There were some 50 people gathered that Sunday and a large handful introduced themselves to me. In the minutes before the liturgy was to begin, a pianist and a violinist played a beautiful prelude.
The service opened with the rousing hymn Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee, accompanied on the organ. It’s such an energetic, optimistic hymn, with memorable lyrics such as these, hinting at the promise of spring after our long winter:
All Your works with joy surround You,
Earth and heav’n reflect Your rays,
Stars and angels sing around You,
Center of unbroken praise;
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Flow’ry meadow, flashing sea,
Chanting bird and flowing fountain
Praising You eternally!
Near the start of the liturgy, the congregation was invited to offer each other the Sign of Peace. The faithful greeted each other with enthusiasm, circulating all around the church and pews. Other hymns that elevated the service included “I am Sending You Light,” “It Only Takes a Spark (Pass It On)” and a real Sunday classic, “How Firm a Foundation.”
Russell United Church is a multi-generational congregation. A half-dozen children were invited up to the front for a special reflection. Reverend Callaghan asked the youth to speak of how they see the difference between salt and sugar. This served as a way to spark a conversation about what Jesus meant in the Sermon on the Mount, when he said that we are the salt of the earth. The kids were then sent off to begin Sunday school, made very happy with bags of chips in hand. “If you feed them, they will come,” Reverend Callaghan said as she began her main sermon. At this point in his earthly ministry, Jesus was speaking of what being a disciple was all about. “You’re blessed,” Reverend Callaghan said of followers of Christ, “but you’re also the salt and the light in the world.” Being that salt and light comes with responsibility.
Salt is also an integral part of the Jewish heritage. In Genesis, Lot’s unnamed wife is turned into a pillar of salt, when she disobeys God’s command not to look back. Reverend Callaghan noted that in Old Testament times, salt was often a symbol of sacrifice, it was precious and it was consumed as a covenant of friendship between two people. In biblical times, salt was also a binding agent, used in the construction of homes. In Matthew, Jesus combines salt with light. We are both the salt of the world and also the light of the world. Light is intangible and it’s elusive, while salt is entirely different. We can touch and taste it, and we know that our bodies require salt to survive. Reverend Callaghan asked the congregation to share what salt is used for today. The faithful gave an array of examples: preservation, healing, the production of detergents, and we put salt on the roads in the winter. Salt is also used as a sign of good luck. “Salt is an integral part of life,” Reverend Callaghan noted. Many Ontarians may not realize, Reverend Callaghan added, that the world’s largest salt mine is located in our province, in Goderich, Ontario, under Lake Huron.
“Sharp has a really sharp edge to it. You know when you’re tasting salt. Perhaps that’s why Jesus chose salt to compare his followers to. We are commissioned, and we need that sharp edge to be Christians in our world,” Reverend Callaghan observed.
The service followed a traditional liturgical structure and included Communion. Bread and grape juice were distributed through the pews. The United Church of Canada practices open communion and all were invited to participate. The service also included the celebration of a Confirmation and a Transfer of Membership. The presence of both were signs of a vital, thriving church community. The new members of Russell United were presented with a mug as a welcoming gift.
As the service wrapped up, a bagpiper played “Amazing Grace,” and “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee” as postludes. It added a Scottish touch to a church that is located in a traditionally Scottish corner of Ontario. Following the service, all were invited to the Upper Hall adjoining the church, where coffee, tea and baked goods awaited — alongside those tempting and tasty bags of chips.
Christopher Adam