There is a special fellowship that is generated around a shared meal.
When I am getting to know someone better, I typically want to meet with them over breakfast, lunch, or dinner … or even coffee … just to hear their story and connect with them. The intimacy that develops over a meal ALWAYS outpaces (in my experience) the closeness created by email or a phone call.
My wife recently celebrated a big birthday, so what did we do? My son and I took her out to dinner and we celebrated her life over copious amounts of pasta and chocolate. Why? Because eating together is way better than just mailing a card.
This past Christmas and Thanksgiving we gathered with our extended families for meals together. Why did we do that? Because a zoom call is no comparison to lingering over post-dinner coffee and catching up on life.
Yes, there is a special fellowship generated around a shared meal.
You know what is awesome? Jesus Christ has established a relationship with us that is “table close.” He did not just ask for a zoom call … He did not just send us an email … He invites us to a table … His table!
Now, some of you may be saying, “Really? When has Jesus ever invited me to gather around His table with Him? Maybe when I die … but until then, I feel like I am on my own!” This is an understandable thought – after all, we live in a day and age where we cannot see Jesus with our own two eyes, so how would we ever eat with Him?
The answer to this question is found in the ordinance Jesus established among His followers on the night before He went to the cross: the Lord’s Supper. Now this symbolic “meal” has been celebrated by Jesus’ followers for 2,000 years now. It has been called a variety of names – the Eucharist and Communion most notably – but it is a staple in Christian worship picturing a variety of things that Jesus’ has done for us. At Wildwood we celebrate Communion once a month as a part of our Sunday worship services. What does Communion symbolize and why do we celebrate it as we do? We will explore that this Sunday in part 4 of our sermon series “Whys of Worship.” And, after looking at Luke 22:14-20, 1 Corinthians 10:15-17 and 11:17-34 seeing what Communion remembers and looks forward to, we will celebrate the Lord’s Supper together to conclude our time in worship.
Make plans to join us Sunday … and bring friends to our 8:30, 9:45, or 11:00 worship service!
Great post! Nothing better than sharing a meal.