Building a “Sweet” Spiritual Life

Good read with a slice and a cuppa.

3/3/12 Some people are cake people. I’m a pie person.  I “side” with the characters in Mamet’s play, “Boston Marriage”, who say, “We must have a pie. Stress cannot exist in the presence of a pie.” (NYTimes, 2/16) At my house, “Pie it is!” Even the book I’m finishing is Bradley’s, Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.

Last Monday, I went to learn basic piecrust-making at a King Arthur flour demonstration. Not only could pies be in my future but scone making would be demonstrated as well. Scones and a cuppa---a favorite of mine.

Informative, funny and enlightening.  

Yet, I began to see a great analogy between pie prep and spiritual growth for believers.

Start with clean hands and plan to use your hands a lot. (Confession is a good way to start our days, “clean.”)

Susan, our pastry chef’s, 1^st ingredient was “pure” flour. Oh how she stressed the importance of purity. (If we want our lives to “rise” to the level of perfection in Him, we too should desire purity first & foremost & "set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." (I Timothy 4:2) 



She continued talking about accurate measurement and following the recipe. (Our standard of measurement is always the Lord and His directions/recipe for our lives are written in His word.) 

• However, she also reminded us how easy it was for a pastry to get a little dry---she would just “spritz” with a little mister of water and continue toward her goal. (Good directions for God’s people to follow---feeling a little dry---go to the always available Source of living water and get a little “spritz” or more if necessary.) 
• As she was winding up her demonstration, she cut off all unnecessary dough from her pan before she sealed and pinched her edges. (Is there unnecessary stuff in my life, that could easily be discarded so that my spiritual life is one that others can “taste and see” that the Lord is good?) 

Her final touch was a wash of cream and a topping of luster sugar---the perfect finish that draws others to “try” her pie. (Shouldn’t believers’ lives have a luster about them. A luster that draws others to the true “sweetness” in their lives?)

Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,

Just from sin and self to cease;


Just from Jesus simply taking


Life and rest, and joy and peace.

 (http://nethymnal.org/htm/t/i/tissweet.htm)