Yeast - Monday Musing, June 29, 2020

Dear Church,

Yeast. Who would have thought that four months ago this tiny baking ingredient would be practically impossible to find on store shelves?

I never really gave yeast much thought. I cannot say that I took it for granted, because I am not a baker and really do not have a need for yeast. But I started thinking about yeast following my candidating in March. My first Sunday at the Federated Church of Orleans, the first of June, would be a communion Sunday, and I had grand plans of baking bread in the sanctuary with a bread maker. It had been quite a long time since I used our bread maker, so the quest for yeast to establish the perfect timing to bake bread began.

And then the coronavirus global pandemic hit, and yeast could not be found anywhere. Mark was finally able to score yeast at the grocery store after weeks on the grocery list. Late, but no longer needed because COVID-19 has cancelled all in-person worship.

Since I cannot use the yeast for baking communion bread in the sanctuary, I can think about yeast as a metaphor for our missional work in our community. Yeast is a tiny ingredient, and a little goes a long way (it makes bread rise!). When I reflect on our individual efforts at prayer, compassion, kindness, and acts of ministry, one might think that our small efforts do not make a difference. What can one solitary prayer, one act of compassion or kindness, one service of ministry accomplish?

Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it (prayer/compassion/kindness/ministry) to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” Our tiny, individual acts can and do make a difference.

Yeast may be a difficult baking ingredient to find on the store shelves, but if you are the yeast, you can be found everywhere. Be the yeast.

Faithfully,

Darren