Sundays and Families

When I was growing up, Sundays were different. Today I would be willing to bet the number of families who attend Sunday Services together are in the minority – especially in certain parts of the country. Although studies are now beginning to reflect a return to churches.

Guess those social experiments society has endured in recent times didn’t work out so well. What experiments? Oh, the first is I’m a Christian who worships outside any organized setting. I don’t need a church – Jesus lives in my heart. Yes, that is the first big step toward God. However; you DO need what the church offers. When we speak hollow words, our hearts reflect that same empty feeling. God is everywhere, no doubt. More and more young people are listening to the whisper – Go to Church. Those of us that do know the full, overflowing sensation of spending time in worship, on bended knee, receiving His graces. More and more are joining in.

The second failed experiment is a lot more damaging. It’s rejection. We are spiritual beings wrapped inside a physical vessel. Our souls hunger for spiritual nourishment that can only come from our creator. A soul that is starving will eventually die. And when that happens, an evil that has existed since the beginning of time is waiting with a different kind of nourishment – anger, hate, bitterness and misery. One way or another the soul will be filled.

While the Jesus-is-in-my-heart group are discovering the need to take it one step further in worship and are seeking the santity of a Church, those who have rejected His love are suffering even more. The devil can’t stand to have the churches filling up and so he whispers Blame God. Just look around at what is happening. In the end we know this experiment will also fail. It just saddens me that so many people are suffering in the meantime. Lord have mercy on those who are so lost.

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I can remember the best part of Sundays were my Dad’s pancakes. It was time with God at Mass, then pancakes. His pancakes are famous in a way. When Kiddo was a little guy, we went to visit my dad with friends. Their children had my dad’s pancakes for the first time, and were amazed. A year later my dad came to visit us, and we surprised our friends by popping in. When their children saw my dad they excitedly asked “Did you come to make us pancakes again?” It was with that warm memory in mind that I made giant pancakes for my guys on a beautiful Sunday morning. Nourish the body, nourish the soul.

Family Style Pancakes
2-1/2 cups Flour
5 teaspoons Baking Powder
3 tablespoons Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Male Flavoring
1 Egg
2 cups Milk
1 tablespoon Butter
Additional Butter for serving
Syrup for serving

Warm oven to 250-degrees. Place a large plate in the oven for serving to warm.

Combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl; mix briefly with a whisk to combine dry ingredients. Add Maple flavoring, egg and milk. Whisk until the batter is lump-free.

Heat a tablespoon of butter in a 10-inch non-stick pan over medium heat. Ass the butter milts, use a brush to spread the melting butter over the bottom and up the sides of the pan.

Pour half the pancake patter into the pan; swirl around to evenly cover the bottom of the pan. Cook over medium heat until lots of bubbles appear on the surface, abut 2 minutes. Carefully lift up the edge to peer underneath. If it is golden, it is ready to flip. Flip the pancake over; cook the other side for about 90 seconds or so.

Remove from pan, butter the top and hold on the large plate in the oven. Repeat with remaining batter. Stack one large pancake on top of the other. Butter the top of the second pancake, serve with syrup tableside. Simple slice as you would a two-layer cake and enjoy.

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In all circumstances, give thanks,
for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.