Slumped in his desk chair, James let his mind wander through the following day’s family service. He would be preaching on Mark 12.41-44 — the widow’s offering.
He sighed heavily; if he had a penny for every time his congregation had heard him speak on giving, he could cover the church’s budget deficit single-handedly. James was always inspired by the widow’s sacrifice, but he needed a fresh way of presenting it — something that would engage the distracted children and teenagers, the busy professionals and parents, as well as the scholarly students and senior citizens in his congregation.
Just as the idea of storytelling dropped into James’s mind, his daughter jumped onto his lap. ‘We’re watching a really funny film, Daddy. Come and see!’ She grabbed her father’s hand and, leading him to the living room, introduced him to animated supervillain Gru, voiced by Steve Carell. Despicable Me captivated the whole family, but none more so than James, who found a scene ideal for illustrating Mark 12.41-44 — three orphans present Gru with a piggy bank containing the few coins that amount to their entire savings.
