Thought for Today
Genesis 1:29 God said, "See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food.
Psalm 78:25 Mortals ate of the bread of angels; he sent them food in abundance.
Luke 3:11 In reply he said to them, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise."
Acts 2:46 Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts,
Yesterday, following worship, we went out for brunch at one of our favorite restaurants near the church. We first tried that restaurant because they support our church’s food pantry. Their Sunday brunch includes live music. Our daughter was with us because our guest pianist yesterday had been our granddaughter’s piano teacher. We had a delightful brunch and then strolled the downtown streets.
In scripture and in life, food and fellowship are intrinsically linked. Even when I am not hungry, I know that food is necessary for life itself. But there is something more than mere preservation of life involved when we dine together. The locale is not the determining factor. We can experience the food/fellowship experience at home, in a fancy restaurant, inside, outside, everywhere. When we do, we experience something far beyond food as simple sustenance for our bodies. We experience fellowship as sustenance for our souls.
God provided the plants and trees, the fruit and seeds for our food. When our ancestors-in-the-faith wandered in the desert, God fed them “the bread of angels; he sent them food in abundance.” We read the experience of those first Christian disciples following Jesus’ Ascension, about how they worshiped and ate together. The Book of Acts tells us “2:47 And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.” We remember all of that fellowship and the growth of the gospel each time we celebrate the Sacrament of the Eucharist. We often hear as part of our celebration some version of, “1Corinthians 11:24 This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me. 25 This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." As we celebrate, we experience our own fellowship with Jesus and those disciples.
The history of the Christian Church is replete with the interaction of food and fellowship. Many of the earliest worship services combined an ἀγάπη (agape = love) feast or communal meal with a more formal worship service. In our own congregation, on the last Sunday of each month we share a luncheon following our worship service. Each time we do, I am reminded of the covered dish suppers at the church of my youth. We usually have a ‘themed’ meal; and, many congregants bring their favorite dish associated with that month’s theme. I believe the most important part of this practice is the table fellowship we share. Worshiping together and dining together we learn about the lives, interests and concerns of each other far beyond the 1 – 2 hours we spend together each Sunday.
Jesus shared his own life with those 12 disciples. They worshiped God together. They ate many meals together. They traveled together. Through it all, those initial 12 disciples came to know Jesus, the Son of God. The meals sustained their bodies. Much later, their memories of those experiences sustained their faith and their souls through hardship, rejection, and even persecution.
Our congregation, like many others throughout Christendom, celebrates communion on the first Sunday of each month. We share our own ἀγάπη (agape) feast on the last Sunday of each month. In both celebrations we share our food and fellowship with Jesus, with those first Christians, with all of our Christian ancestors through the ages and with all Christians in Christendom today. We also celebrate whenever we share meals with family, reminding ourselves that our family is part of the greater family of the children of God.
Stay safe, share food, share fellowship, trust God,
Pastor Ray