Rise Up, Church

Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. Matthew 13:33

Our church ladies, we named ourselves Mentoring Moms, met today for a bread making class, devotion, and fellowship. Making bread is one of my favorite kitchen activities. The two ladies conducting the meeting today helped us make crescent rolls. This is a yeast bread. We were shown how to bloom the yeast, mix and knead, rise and roll, finally we cooked and ate. Making yeast bread is time consuming. It also gives the baker a work out without a gym fee!

I think watching the yeast raise the dough is the most fascinating part. Less than a tablespoon of little dry critters grows a quart of flour into almost a gallon of bread dough. Making bread can be tricky if the water isn't the right temperature. Hot water kills the yeast and it will not raise the dough. Cold water also prevents rising. It won't wake up the critters. The temperature of the water has to be just a little warmer than body temperature. The dough also has to be kept in a warm place to rise. 

That is just what Jesus was explaining to those listening to Him the day he told them of the woman who put yeast in three measures of flour. It's fascinating watching as God uses a few disciples, then and now, to make a difference in the world. If we are so religious we become legalistic we kill the gospel message and no one listens. If we are cold, worldly Christians, the world doesn't see we are different. We have to be consistently burning so others see a real difference in our lives. Our lives have to be that warm, happy place where we can grow in Christ. We have to show others how to grow in Christ as well. 

Making bread is hard work. Kneading the dough takes time and energy. So does working the gospel into the world. We have to work at being a consistent, insistent Christian. We can't let political correctness cool down the gospel. 

Raising the dough takes time. We have to wait for the dough to reach the right rise or the loaf will be less than satisfactory. So spreading the gospel takes time, patience, a never give up attitude. It won't happen overnight.    

When the bread comes out of the oven, ahhh, the wonderful aroma and taste. Oh, when a soul is saved, what a sweet aroma the prayer of salvation sends up to the Father. As the saying goes, "All the world looks bright since I got right." 

Our consistent witness in the world will change us, our families, our churches, our communities, our country, and our world. What a wonderful promise of peaceful satisfaction a loaf of bread brings. 

Blessings,

Gail

Hey Kids:

Easter is only a few weeks away. This would be a great opportunity to make Braided Easter Egg Bread. You can watch the yeast change and grow the flour as well as present an unusual loaf of great tasting bread on your Easter table. There are many opportunities to use this bread as a witnessing tool as friends and family talk about the reason for Easter.

Making bread is a lot like playing with play dough. 

After mixing the recipe, kneading is folding, pushing, folding, and pushing over and over to make sure the gluten is stretchy. That's not exactly a good technical, scientific explanation, but the dough will look and feel stretchy. 

After the dough rises to double it's original size, punch it down and cut the dough in half.

Play dough time again. Roll each half into a loooong snake  of about 36 inches. 

Braid the two dough snakes and connect them into a circle. 

Now take RAW eggs and tuck them in the braids around the loaf.

Then bake the loaf according to your recipe directions. 

The raw eggs will now be cooked and taste very much like the boiled Easter eggs you have every year. 

My Easter Egg Chickens have begun to lay blue eggs. I think I might make a loaf with those eggs tucked in among the braids. Happy Easter.