Resurrection Buns

Next to my salvation, my wife is my greatest gift from God.

She is an extraordinary wife; loving, beautiful, funny, creative, humble, sassy. A true Proverbs 31 woman of God, she industriously cares for our home and family, while discipling other women with grace, honesty, transparency and humility. She is also an amazing mom and grandma. She is incredibly talented in the kitchen; I am in the "rookie" stage there, but learning as I move toward retirement! And she is a creative and gifted Primary teacher, currently managing a class of 16 junior kindergarten munchkins through some form of distance education, as we muddle our way through COVID-19 and a new "normal" here in Ontario. She loves each of those little ones like they were her own, and they are never truly far from her thoughts.

Easter being near, she decided that, if they were in the classroom, she would have made Resurrection Buns (see the story and recipe here) together with them but, since that was impossible, she would make them herself, record a video to teach her students about them, and then deliver a gift bag to each family on Sunday morning. While this may not seem particularly extraordinary, you have to understand that my generous wife never gives "just one"; you have to have something to share! And her families live all over our Durham Region. But that's just the phenomenal woman to whom I have the privilege of being married.

Resurrection Buns can have a number of variations in the recipe, but the basics are essentially the same, as they provide object lessons to tell the story. We begin with a white marshmallow; the intense whiteness of the marshmallow speaks of the purity of Jesus, who qualified as the sacrifice for our sins because of His perfect obedience and sinlessness. 


We then dip the marshmallow in melted butter and roll in some cinnamon and sugar; the spices speak of the spices used in the embalming process on His dead body. Then we wrap the marshmallow tightly in a pastry dough, pinching closed all the seams, so that the marshmallow can't leak out. Some use Pillsbury crescent roll dough; my wife uses regular dinner roll dough. The dough speaks of the tomb in which His body was laid; it was sealed completely shut with a massive stone, and a Roman guard was posted, so that no mere man could get in or get out on their own.


The final step is to bake it in the oven, which is a great opportunity to speak of Jesus suffering the punishment for our sins under the hands of a holy and righteous God, and to highlight that Jesus spent time in the grave. He died. (He did not swoon and then recover from His ordeal; people don't survive crucifixion. It was a torture device that had been perfected over many years to exact the most pain and suffering possible, before taking the life of the victim. In fact, most criminals who were scourged first, like Jesus was, didn't even survive the scourging. How much of this detail you include would be determined by the age of your children.)

Once they've been baked and cooled, they can be cut open. The marshmallow inside will have melted away, leaving a hollow in the bun, which is a beautiful picture of the empty tomb! The tomb did not have to be opened to let Jesus out; the tomb was opened to show that Jesus was already gone!

In education, we often talk about activities that are "low floor, high ceiling"; that is, they are simple to understand at the basic level, but there's lots of room to "plumb the depths" of the concept. Resurrection buns fit the bill; little children can understand the simple object lessons that relay the story of the Resurrection, but grown-ups like you and I can spend our lifetimes plumbing the depths of what it meant for holy God to wrap Himself in  a limited, human body and then allow the creatures He had made to nail Him to a cross. What it meant for the sinless Son of God to "become sin for us", as it says in 2 Cor. 5:21. What kind of ridiculous, outrageous, extravagant love God must have for mankind, that He would go through all this in order to make a way possible for us to be forgiven, redeemed and restored. What an insult it must be to God when we try to get right with Him on our own merits and efforts.

And, as I look at that simple Resurrection bun, I realize that I can never unsee the beauty, the majesty, the complexity, the depth of love, that is Easter. My heart overflows in gratefulness and worship.

You can contact the author at mikeysingsbass@gmail.com.

Pondering COVID-19 ...

"... even the hairs of your head are all numbered."

Matthew 10:30

In the matter of a few hours, our whole world changed.

Thursday, March 12th, 2020, started like many of my “last day before March Break” days had started in years past. I taught my classes, wished my students an enjoyable break and prepped all my handouts and resources for the first day back. I could walk away and leave school behind me because everything was planned and ready to go when we returned.

Over the course of that day, I had several conversations with colleagues who had March Break trips planned but, in the wake of concerns over the Coronavirus, had cancelled those trips. My wife Judy and I had planned to visit family in Quebec but we were, quite frankly, exhausted and decided we just wanted to stay put. Also, being education workers, there was a slightly greater risk of exposure, and we sure didn’t want to end up inadvertently passing the virus along to our elderly parents.

After dinner Thursday evening, I was informed by a friend that the Minister of Education had closed all schools for the two weeks following March Break, blindsiding us completely. The long tendrils of COVID-19 had now reached out and touched our world.

In the days that followed, zoos, museums, malls and theatres — any place of public gatherings — were closed down. Businesses moved to a “work from home” model. As one of three co-pastors of our church Fellowship Oshawa (fellowshiposhawa.com), I joined in discussions over how we were going to continue to serve our church family: what would we do re: preaching and providing a sense of community, despite physical distancing. The phrase “a new normal” became familiar.

Not knowing what this is going to look like moving forward has made it a challenge to rest, to enjoy the “break”. And I have found myself pondering what it looks like to pastor our congregation through this. Much of our community has been built around shared experiences: shared meals, shared games and activities, shared laughter. How do I help my church family maintain that needed sense of community during a period of time where physical proximity is discouraged, even potentially dangerous? 

Thankfully, we have so many tools available to us to be connected, not just by voice but face-to-face: FaceTime, Ring Central, WhatsApp and Zoom are just a few of the tools we’ve used over the last while. I’ve touched base with friends and family this way and found great encouragement from doing so. I’ve even been able to help a friend get started to learn to play guitar via a WhatsApp video call!

While it’s all been challenging, I have also had more time for introspection; our crazy, hamster-wheel lifestyles in North America don’t often leave room for that. And I’ve noted a lack of fear and anxiety. (Remarkably, I felt no pressing need to stockpile toilet paper ...) And the reason for that is God and His character.

The Bible is one of the key ways God has chosen to reveal Himself to mankind; another is through His Son Jesus. But Jesus stepped into time for only a short period; God left us His Word in written form so that we could continually learn more about Him, and be reminded of the things we had forgotten.

1. God is Sovereign. This means that He is in control; nothing catches Him by surprise. Colossians 1:16-17 reads “For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” The person referred to in this passage is Jesus. Given this kind of sovereignty, the coronavirus is not something that will cause Him to say “Whoops! I didn’t see that coming!” Just like everything else in our lives — the pleasant and the unpleasant — Jesus knew it before it happened and it isn’t capable of thwarting His plans. So I needn’t fear that things are out of His control; He’s got this.

But if it’s all under His control, can He be trusted? Is He kind or malicious, faithful or fickle? The answers to those questions are also found throughout the Bible.

2. God is Good. Psalm 106 is just one of many that include the refrain found in verse 1: “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever.” Psalm 34:8 even invites us to “taste and see that the Lord is good!” Don’t just take my word for it, or even the record of His goodness in the Bible; try it for yourself! What is very important to understand, however, is that God is good and righteous. He’s not Santa, doling out gifts and favours with a hearty chuckle; He is King, true to His plans to do what is just and righteous and good for His Kingdom. An important question for you might be: are you a subject of His Kingdom, safe within the protection of His walls? Or are you outside the gates, unprotected and unable to enjoy the benefits of His resources?

3. God is Faithful. Lamentations 3:22-23 reads “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. Sadly, our generation and culture knows so little about love that lasts; how many marriages do you know of that are still solid after 20, 15, even 10 years? When I introduce a new course I’m teaching, I share a bit about myself and my students often clap when they hear that I have been married to my best friend for over 30 years; their hearts yearn for a love that lasts a lifetime but they don’t often see examples of it being possible. God’s love doesn’t just last years, or a lifetime; it never ends. He is faithful forever. To whom? To Himself, of course! And because of that, because He is Truth, He cannot be false to His promises.

So, if you are a follower of Jesus, you needn’t fear the coronavirus; One much greater than the coronavirus is your God and King! Regardless of what happens here on earth — whether you contract the virus or not, whether it takes your life or not — that same Sovereign, Good, Faithful King Jesus took your place on the cross, suffered the punishment for sin that you deserved, and transferred His righteousness and perfection to your account so that He could pour out His steadfast love on you unceasingly, even into eternity! Paul states, and every follower of Jesus can echo it, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Phil.1:21) While He leaves us here, let’s proclaim the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ, the gospel of hope, to our neighbours, to our family members, to our friends. Tell them of the Saviour who died to set them free from sin to love Him and be loved by Him! Show them, by your example, that His “perfect love casts out fear.” (1 John 4:18) Give them a reason to take that first step, to “taste and see that the Lord is good”.

Love like Jesus loved, sacrificially. If there is a need, act. Be wise, for sure, and take precautions, but don’t fear; nothing, not even death, can touch you outside of His will.

And if you’re not a follower of Jesus, now is the time. Because of your sin, you stand condemned before Him. Oh, He is patient, loving and gracious; the fact that you’re reading this is evidence of His grace to warn you of your eternal peril. If the coronavirus, or a car accident, or simply natural causes, should take your life today, you will stand before this King and you will be judged based on what you did with Jesus; did you ignore the rightful King and choose your own kingdom, usurping His throne? Or did you bow before Him, give Him your heart and life and ask His forgiveness for your rebellion against Him? There’s still time, right now, where you sit reading this post, to take advantage of His gracious offer to save you; take it today! After over 50 years of being His, with many, many screw-ups along the way, I can attest to His goodness even when I wasn’t good, His faithfulness even when I wasn’t faithful, His love even when I didn’t demonstrate my love for Him. He is such a loving King! Kneel before Him today and give your all to Him; you will never regret it!

A Word About The Word

"In the beginning was the Word ..."

John 1:1

Ever played the Telephone Game?

You line up a group of people and then whisper some message to the first person (only once, no repeats!) who then turns and whispers what they heard to the next person, and so on down the line. When it reaches the last person, they loudly proclaim the message they received, whereupon the first person states the message they sent, and everyone laughs at how the message got convoluted going down the line.

It's a silly little game, but it can make for a good teaching illustration on how it is important to listen carefully, or communicate clearly; one might use it at a staff team-building event, or in a classroom, or as a sermon illustration, or at a marriage seminar.

Atheists and others who argue against the veracity of the Bible love to use this as an example to illustrate how oral traditions are not trustworthy channels for passing down information from one generation to another. They suggest (validly) that family stories can get muddled from generation to generation, as details are left out, or inaccurately retold, or even incorrectly perceived.

Say, for instance, that you grew up as I did, a first-generation Canadian of Dutch descent. Both of my parents were children in Holland during the German occupation of that country in World War II. I heard many stories about relatives hiding Jews during the war, or being part of the Resistance, or the struggle to find sufficient food. My maternal grandfather was taken to the German labour camps; he survived and even successfully escaped from the camps, walking back home from Germany to Holland. My paternal grandfather managed to keep his little family safe and alive, despite one home being bombed and another having a plane crash on it. And in the tail end of the war, when the Allies were pushing the Germans back into Germany, they were evacuated from their home in Arnhem in the middle of the night by Canadian soldiers, because the fighting was about to get very heavy. They escaped with no loss of life, and learned very important lessons about the relative importance of "things".

As I recount these stories to my children, it is quite possible that some of the details will be wrong; not intentionally, but simply affected by my memory and perception. My children will then pass the stories on to their children, perhaps including a few more inaccuracies, until, in a few generations, the story is no longer the same one told to me as a child.

If we were to apply this same principle to the first generations described in the book of Genesis, we would understandably imagine that the Creation stories, for example, or the story of Noah, would be markedly different from the real accounts and therefore, not reliable. They would be relegated to mythology, the kinds of stories that become "enhanced" over time and retelling.

But let's go back to my families' stories of WWII. What if, as I recounted the stories to my children over dinner, my parents and grandparents were also sitting at that same dinner table? My grandparents could clarify the details of what happened, because they were there. My parents could correct the errors in my retelling of the stories, because they were there. And now the stories have been corrected, realigned, as it were, to rectify any errors and ensure their veracity. And as this pattern continues, as I become the grandparent at my grandchildren's dinner table, I can correct the inaccuracies as well, ensuring valid transmission of the stories.

This is precisely what happened with those early oral traditions. First, early families were very closely knit, not like our individualistic Western culture; several generations often lived together, or in close proximity, and stayed connected. Second, Genesis 5 gives us the first of many genealogies in the Bible. It also records that people had significantly greater lifespans. I mapped it out once for a class and discovered that Adam died when Lamech, Noah’s dad, was 46 years old. So eight generations could hear the accounts straight from Adam.

Later, Moses wrote the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. These and the rest of the Old Testament were hand-copied by scribes. To ensure accuracy in the recopying, the scribes kept numerical tallies on each page of the number of jots and tittles (dots and strokes which make up the Hebrew letters) on each page, the number of words on each page, what the center word should be, and so on. They strove to obey God’s command: “You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take away from it ...” (Deut. 4:2) And we now have hundreds of times more copies and fragments of the word of God than of any other ancient document. Many of these manuscripts and fragments go back thousands of years, and show us that no significant changes have occurred to our copies of God’s Word, compared to those written even before Jesus was born.

The Bible is accurate historically. In every aspect where the Bible can be tested and verified (by archaeology, for example), it has been shown to be trustworthy. There have been, over the years, instances where it was thought that some lack of discovery seemed to prove the record in the Scriptures false, only to have it verified later. For example, until 1961, no record of Pontius Pilate existed, much less anything about him; this resulted once again in some claiming that the Bible was inaccurate, simply a legend or myth. Then a stone was discovered with an inscription, not only naming Pilate but verifying biblical details about him, and validating that particular Scriptural account.

Of greater significance than its accuracy, I believe, is the ability of the Bible to speak into each aspect of our lives with relevance and authority. In every aspect where I’ve trusted its wisdom, it has proved faithful and true. And in every aspect where I’ve ignored its instruction, I have suffered the same ramifications of my decision that Scripture warns against. The Scriptures are internally consistent and coherent. One can choose to ignore the instruction found in it, but one cannot avoid the consequences of that decision.

For example, the Bible teaches that we are not born as clean, blank slates; we are born already sinful. It's in our very make-up. As I raise my children, I notice that I don't have to teach them to lie; that comes naturally. I have to teach them to tell the truth. I don't have to teach them to be selfish; that comes naturally. I have to teach them to be kind, and share, and think of others. Just read Lord of the Flies by William Golding and you'll see exactly what I'm talking about. A naturalistic worldview has a hard time explaining this; nurture doesn't cut it.

The Bible teaches that our sin results in death; not just physical death, but spiritual death, separation from God. Our consciences condemn us, and we try to quiet the inner voice by finding fulfillment elsewhere: in drugs or alcohol, in sex and relationships, in fame and success, even in religion. None of these things can truly fill the void; no matter how good those things can be, there's still something missing. Solomon, the richest, wisest, most powerful king, who had everything, including 700 wives, said of all his projects, experiments and accomplishments "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity and striving after wind!" (Ecclesiastes) I have experienced it myself; when I tried to satisfy myself with other things, even good things -- work, success, relationships, religion -- they left me empty. I needed to find my satisfaction in God; it's how He has designed each one of us.

The Bible teaches that, because of that sin in me, I am already guilty before God, and condemned, before I've even done anything. We may not be as bad as we possibly could be, but we're all as bad off as we possibly could be! Now, our myths always create a human hero who rises above, who is bigger than life, to save the day. The Bible is unique; it teaches us that we can't save ourselves, but God, the One who created us, who we rebelled against, loves us still because He IS love. Only a perfect human could pay the price to satisfy His perfect justice and no human is, or ever was, perfect. So He sent His Son to become a human, live a perfect life, and then die in our place, so that God's justice and righteousness could be satisfied. And when we acknowledge our inability to make ourselves right, and accept His free gift of forgiveness and righteousness, on account of what Jesus accomplished, we find inner peace, lasting peace. Romans 8:1 says, "There is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus." And I know that peace; I've experienced the difference, because I acted on what the Bible said I needed to do.

Scripture explains, clearly and logically, the human condition, and answers the big questions like "Why, and how, am I here?",  "What is my purpose? What is it all about?" and "What happens after life is over?" You may not like the answers to those questions, but it provides answers to these big questions, and the unified package is coherent. I have a peace, and a purpose, and a passion, not because of my circumstances but in the midst of them, because of my relationship with Jesus. He is what makes all the difference.

We should not be surprised at the attacks on God’s Word; it was the devil’s first recorded challenge in Genesis 3: “Did God really say ...?” And he hasn’t changed his tactics. But you and I can rest assured that the Bible we have today is accurate and true, because it is God’s Word and He is faithful and true.

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”
Isaiah 40:8

As always, I welcome your comments. I can be reached at mikeysingsbass@gmail.com.