May 16, 2024 — June 16, 2016 – The Dollar Spot Devotions

The Pig “Popper” – “You Can’t Touch This”

“When He arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met Him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?” Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”  He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they pleaded with Him to leave their region.” Matthew 8:28-34

I was planning my children’s sermon one week, and the text appointed for that Sunday was the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). It was a good text to use my “puppet theater”, and so I went to the “Dollar Spot” looking for some props. Wouldn’t you know it, they had a bin filled with “Pig Poppers”.   “What’s a “Pig Popper?”, you may ask. Well, it is a pig in which you insert a plastic ball into the pig’s mouth. When you squeeze the pig’s belly, the ball “pops” (not poops) out making a popping (not pooping) sound. 

In the Old Testament, pigs are one of the forbidden animals in the Jewish tradition and religion. The Torah (the first five books of the bible) contains passages in Leviticus that lists the animals that people are permitted to eat.  It qualifies certain animals that are ok to eat:

“Any animal that has a cloven hoof that is completely split into double hooves, and which brings up its cud that one you may eat.— Leviticus 11:3

Examples of animals that have cloven hooves and chew their cud are cows, sheep, and deer. Then the text goes on to describe specific animals that are known and meet one, but not both, of those qualifications, thereby prohibiting their consumption. It does not give an exact reason for prohibition other than physical characteristics.  Among those animals is the pig:

“And the pig, because it has a cloven hoof that is completely split, but will not regurgitate its cud; it is unclean for you. You shall not eat of their flesh, and you shall not touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.”— Leviticus 11:7-8

It was into that herd of pigs that the demons begged Jesus to be cast. And when they were, they went straight into the lake to drown. It is an odd story.  Yet, we know that evil seeks to destroy whatever evil can latch onto. Evil seeks to destroy relationships, destroy people, and destroy communities. With the help of Jesus, we can drive out evil – or like a “Pig Popper”, we can blast evil right back to where it belongs. But it will take all of us, working together, not against one another — living as Christ calls us to live, loving as Christ calls us to live, and being disciples as Christ calls us to serve.   

Pastor Dave

May 15, 2024 – The Dollar Spot Devotions

Notebooks – I Wish More People Took Notes During Worship!

An original story….

They rushed the man into the operating room.  He was just barely hanging on to life. The operating room (OR) was alive with an army of people, organized chaos, like ants all with their function and purpose.  It was a choreographed dance of life saving decisions.  There was a fluidity of motion.  “His blood pressure is dropping”, shouted a voice.  “Do we have a line?” “IV is in, we need to start a course of…” The voice was drowned out by a more urgent request…”Do we have any scans? We need to know where the blockage is.”  “Nothing in his chart” another voice shouted. “We have to open him up.” The dance in the OR now changed.  Even the bit players now responded to cues.  “Scalpel”, came the request.  “Suction…” “Rib expander.”  Motion followed sound followed urgency.  There was the heart, beating, distressed.  And then…..

There was an audible gasp.  Eyes were moving, but not much else. One set of eyes looked at the beating heart – then looked across to another set of eyes – and back to the heart. What they saw took some time to understand.  There was a line, like black ink running along the bottom of the heart. It was distinct, different from the veins and arteries.

“Suction” came the request, snapping people back to attention.  “What is that?” the surgeon said, almost under her breath. Words began to appear, coming into view…”LOVE THE LORD YOUR G-D…” “Forceps” she whispered.  Carefully she tried to probe — careful not to damage the heart tissue.  “It looks like someone wrote….something.”  But the words were gone.  She blinked.  A hand came across her forehead wiping away the sweat that had suddenly broken out. “I don’t understand”.  “Doctor, what is it?” a resident asked.  “I have never….” But she couldn’t finish her thoughts, because more words appeared “LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR…”  She couldn’t make out the rest as the heart continued to beat more rapidly now. 

She was thinking, not so much about her medical training, but about her religious  classes she attended so long ago.  She remembered…”I will write them upon their hearts.  I will be their G-d and they will be my people.”

“Could it be?”  She stepped away, almost losing her balance.

Pastor Dave