Surfing the internet is like sorting through the latest pile of avocados at your grocery store. You have to inspect and reject a few before you get to a winner. Each week I faithfully google themes related to the Sunday service and scripture to see if I can discover anything of value, and I get it every time...along with a pile of discarded illustrations and stories that just weren’t ripe enough yet for making homiletic guacamole. 

I ran across the following bit from either a preacher or a standup comedian, I’m not sure which. (I’m reminded of a question one of my seminary professors put to me about needing to choose if I was going to be a preacher or a comic; and my reply was, ‘Why can’t I be both?’) I’ve not been able to work it into a sermon over the last few months, but it seems to have finally ripened up enough to share, so I thought I’d serve it up in the Window instead: 

“Grandma always said, ‘You’ve got only two things in life to worry about: whether you’re healthy or whether you’re sick. If you’re healthy, you ain’t got nothin’ to worry about. But if you’re sick…then you got only two things to worry about: whether you’re gonna get better or whether you’re gonna get worse. If you get better, you ain’t got nothin’ to worry about. But if you get worse...then you got only two things to worry about: whether you’re gonna live or whether you’re gonna die. If you live, you ain’t got nothin’ to worry about. But if you die…then you got only two things to worry about: whether you’re goin’ to heaven or whether you’re goin’ to hell. If you’re going to heaven, you ain’t got nothin’ to worry about. But if you’re going to hell…well, then you got only two choices—original or extra crispy!’” 

I hope your Lenten renewal of Christian discipleship finds the flavor of salvation predominate among the other 11 herbs and spices you might be cooking with. 

Pastor Mark