| Cooking shows are a favorite of mine to watch. Over the past 2 ½ years, this has become a hobby because they give me ideas that feed my passion for cooking. However, there is one part of the meal that I’ve yet to undertake…baking bread. My daughter is considerably better at baking than me, so I stay out of the kitchen when she is baking. However, we do share a common interest in one certain baking show, The Great British Baking Show. On the show, if you’ve never seen it, several contestants bake different items in hopes of making it to the next week. Each week, the contestant with the lowest marks is voted off by the two expert judges. One week that many of the contestants dread is Bread Week. Inevitability, during that week, one of the contestants will give the formula for most bread: water + flour + time = leavened bread. However, one of the challenges will be an unleavened type of bread which is more difficult for them. For an Old Testament fan, unleavened bread should tickle the ear for Israel-baked unleavened bread for the Passover. The classic formula of water + flour + time was disrupted because of the hastily exit out of Egypt. For centuries, many Jews rid their homes of all possible leavened flour in preparation for Passover. Any leaven already present in old flour would ruin the significance of the weekly remembrance. In the New Testament, Jesus warned his audience to beware of the yeast of the religious leaders. Jesus’ words focused not on an outside contaminant but the same leaven that was in the leaders was already in his audience. The real problem wasn’t the outside enemy but what was already present in the person. The judgmental and prideful nature of the religious leaders existed in the lives of the people waiting to rise to the top. When we hate what another person does only to find that we do the same thing towards that person, we are guilty of the same yeast. When we judge others by the same measure that we criticize another judger, we are guilty of the same yeast. Just as one might spring clean the house to rid the house of anything that might ruin the whole lot, a follower of Christ must search the heart so that what is left after the spiritual purge is something pure.  This Week’s Readings: *Monday – Romans 12 *Tuesday – Romans 13 *Wednesday- Romans 14 *Thursday -Romans 15 *Friday- Romans 16 Prayer Requests: *Children’s safety as they participate in summer activities. *An immediate end to the crisis in Ukraine. *Heal those who are sick and protect those who are not. *Comfort those who are grieving and in distress. *Wisdom for our leaders as they navigate through uncertain times. *Guidance for those seeking to find their way. *Continued Growth Inside and Outside the Walls of St. Paul UMC. |
| “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.” – Philippians 4:6 |