Rays of Light

One particularly memorable day, the pastor had a special treat planned. As congregants entered the small country sanctuary, they were greeted by the delightful aroma of fresh-baked brownies. And if I know Pastor Cory, he probably arranged for everyone to sing “Lord, I’m hungry” during Worship.

Stepping up to the pulpit, he stated “Today I want to speak to you about the ingredients for living a godly life.” “But first,” he offered “I want everyone to enjoy a brownie.” And they did. Everyone knew that they were about to witness another of the pastor’s illustrated sermons and they were eating it up – pardon the pun.

Next, the pastor uncovered a tray of baking goods and explained that he was going to show the congregation just how to make the wonderful brownies they were enjoying. “Then” he added with an authoritative tone, “I will show you how this relates to your walk with Christ.

Carefully measuring the powdered cocoa and pouring it into the mixing bowl, the pastor advised the congregation that choosing the right ingredients was of utmost importance. He then added the remaining ingredients one-by-one –flour, sugar, butter, etc—until the delicious-looking batter was nearly complete.

The pastor offered a nugget of wisdom with each addition. They were being well-fed spiritually but some were wishing they had another brownie; that is until…

“The batter is nearly ready to bake, but there is one more secret ingredient to add,” the pastor said with an impish grin. As he lifted a baggie from the tray, he told everyone “I personally gathered this doggie poop a little while ago; it’s quite fresh.”

As everyone stared in disbelief, the pastor squeezed a small amount into the batter and stirred briskly. “Don’t worry” he said. “It’s only a tiny amount, you can’t even taste it, but it sure does add to the brownie.

I can only imagine how the expressions changed as each person realized he or she had just eaten one of those ‘special’ brownies. Of course there was no poop in the ones they had eaten, but the very thought was enough to make one feel suddenly disgusted, or worse.

Pastor Cory had copied the idea for the secret ingredient brownies from a caring father who felt the need to answer his teenagers ‘why not’ questions in a very impacting way. The man had been badgered by his teens, “Why can’t we watch this movie, there’s just a little violence and language in it? What harm could there be in that?”

This conscientious father had chosen to use his ‘special’ brownies to show his teens that even a tiny amount of something bad can ruin the whole. “The small amount of ‘bad’ in the movie may not seem all that harmful, but it is as disgusting to God as this poop is to you,” he admonished, “and it is harmful whether you can “taste” it or not.

Needless to say, the movie was not watched and the brownie batter was discarded.

Next time any of us sit down to watch that popular movie or read that best-selling novel, we should ask, “Is there any poop in here, even just a little?” If the answer is yes, there’s a good chance that it won’t seem nearly as appealing all of a sudden.

More importantly, we should ask if the Lord would be pleased with our choice. As the saying goes, WWJD (What would Jesus do?), . Remember, whatever ye eat, or drink, (or watch or read) or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. (I Corinthians 10:31)

Having said all that, anyone want my recipe for cheesecake? –just kidding.