Sermon Easter Eggs

I was sitting in church a few weeks ago and the pastor somehow managed to make a reference in his sermon to both The Matrix and Lynard Skynard’s “Free Bird” in a matter of just a few moments. It took me a few seconds to reign my brain back in from the 17 directions it took at this bizarre and random pairing of references.

I then waited until the end of the sermon to fully digest this. Which means my brain immediately started wandering and I got distracted with this thought: Do pastors ever purposely insert Easter eggs into their sermons?

Quick note: An Easter egg is a hidden message left in things such as a computer program, web site, book, etc.

I’m sure writing a message each and every week is exciting work, but maybe—just maybe—pastors like to keep things interesting by challenging themselves to insert certain Easter eggs into their message. They pick two completely random things (like an overrated movie and a classic rock song) and try to put references to them in their talk.

Or maybe they try to make it even more interesting by getting others involved. If I were a pastor, I’d make bets that I could incorporate random Easter eggs into my sermon. If the pastor is successful, then the other person owes them something like Starbucks. (A lot of pastors I’ve met get their energy from a steady diet of coffee and leftover food from church activities.)

Am I the only one who has noticed pastors using really random references in their sermons? And if you’re a pastor, I bet you can’t incorporate Strawberry Shortcake and Hulk Hogan into your next sermon. I’ll buy you a fancy coffee drink from your favorite coffee shop if you send proof that you did. Challenge: Extended. Any takers?