Dear Ch
urch Family and Friends,
Two years ago my then four-year-old niece introduced me to the pleasures of making monkey bread. For the uninitiated, monkey bread is a sticky, gooey hybrid of coffee cake and cinnamon buns. Despite being made with the help of pre-made Pillsbury biscuit dough, I have since discovered that monkey bread is superior in taste to similar breads I have consumed in the finest bakeries of Portland. Children always seem to know the right amount of sugar and cinnamon with which to coat the golf ball-size balls of dough.
For me, monkey bread provides an important spiritual lesson for all of us: the miraculous happens when we come together for a higher purpose, in this case, the higher purpose of sweet gooey delight. As it happens, the lessons of monkey bread are particularly relevant this Sunday as our church joins forces with the Children’s Alliance for the higher purpose of seeking justice and equality for the children of our state. This Sunday we are fortunate to have with us Emijah Smith from the Children’s Alliance. Smith will speak briefly to us during worship before she leads our adult education session in Bradford Hall following the service.
As an added enticement for every member of our church to attend Smith’s presentation, we will be serving fresh monkey bread to all comers. For those who want to monkey around even more, we are inviting people of all ages to help us make monkey bread before worship. Simply arrive in the kitchen of Bradford Hall at 9:30 am to help us roll balls of dough in cinnamon and sugar before squeezing them into bundt pans. Any children who attend can later help me demonstrate the making of monkey bread during the children’s sermon.
This Sunday promises to be a great opportunity for all of us to STICK together and accomplish the miraculous.
Your brother in Christ,
Pastor Brooks
PS: Childcare will be provided during the adult education class, and all children will be invited to have some of the bread before the session begins.