Grand Sweep Daily
Galatians 5:9 (NIV)
9 A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.
Good morning!
I’ve always believed a little fungus is a good thing. Before the days of pizza delivery service, my mother made the best homemade pizza in the State of
We would sit down at the kitchen table and watch mother mix and knead the dough. To get a thick and chewy crust, she would add a packet of yeast to the flour mixture, just before adding a little water and milk. That packet of yeast went a long way to help the dough rise up as it baked in the oven. Fresh yeast is a must. Any yeast packet past its expiration date was tossed straight away into the trash can. It took a lot of muscle to knead the dough by hand. The flour mixture would turn shiny and pliable after Mom spent several minutes beating it down with her fists. When my sister and I got fidgety in our chairs, she would hand us a little chunk of Mozzarella and a mushroom slice to nibble on. What a great snack! I liked cold mushrooms almost as much as I liked them cooked.
After I married Jeff, I began to follow in my mother’s footsteps and cook with mushrooms. I added them to spaghetti sauce and tossed lettuce salads. Mushroom-based gravy was prepared and served over roast beef, baked chicken and grilled steak. I even liked mushrooms mixed with steamed vegetables. Unfortunately, Jeff did not like mushrooms at all. He would spend a good deal of time simply picking them out of his food, shifting what I considered the best part of the meal to one side of his plate. When we were newlyweds, he never complained about those pesky ‘shrooms. He would simply smile, and try to eat around them. Jeff never cleaned his plate at dinner time and I knew his mother would not be pleased. After many years of suffering in silence through my mushroom-laced meals, Jeff grew weary of the hunt and began to make a little noise. I learned new and creative ways to add fungus to my meals, while keeping Jeff’s food virtually “mushroom” free. Yesterday, while dining at a Chinese restaurant, I was reminded of Jeff’s strong aversion to mushrooms. I had almost forgotten what that was like for him, until I offered him some of my hot and sour soup. After he tried a couple spoonfuls, Jeff made the comment, “There sure are a lot of mushrooms in that soup, but I couldn’t taste them!” However, he didn’t finish eating the soup. God love him!
A year or so ago, our church staff formed a vocal group and it turned our congregation virtually upside down. It was pathetic. They called themselves, “The Staff Infection.” It was an infection all right. As they began to butcher what was once a beautiful hymn of praise, our folks began to giggle quietly, and some of them, like me, started to laugh uncontrollably. Before long, the entire congregation was hysterical. Some of us were wiping the tears from our eyes. A growing fungus can spread like wildfire and infect an entire group of innocent bystanders within a few short seconds. The gift of laughter can become an infectious disease!
The dictionary defines yeast as a group of single-celled fungi that reproduces by budding. A little budding yeast can go the distance in raising bread dough, pizza crust, and even a somber, quiet congregation. A little bit goes a long way. And if the yeast has expired, it will render itself useless in any given recipe.
We need a little budding fungus in every congregation. A yeast infection can be a good thing, when we follow God’s directions. His recipe is right there, in the Book. How did we miss it? The Apostle Paul says, “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. (Galatians 5:13-15 NIV).
As humans often do, we place our own personal preferences above the needs of others. We end up biting and devouring each other instead of loving one another like we love ourselves. A little love can go a long way in raising the dead to life. It only takes a dash of yeast to raise an entire batch of dough. We need a little yeast infection today. Won’t you sprinkle Christ like love over the people He has placed in your path today?
Grace and peace,
Deb Spaulding
Faith UMC -
Pray for: a yeast infection! This is not the kind that sends you to the doctor in agony, but an infection that spreads the love of Christ throughout the world. It all begins with a little selfless love, and a great sense of humor. And whatever you do, if the one you love doesn’t like to eat mushrooms, don’t make him eat them. And all God’s children said, “Amen!”
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© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding
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