My family jokes (but it is also true) that if we get together for lunch, we’ll inevitably end up talking about what’s for dinner. Food is one of those things that drives our family. I remember telling my sister that I was going to come down & visit, and her first comment was, “would you like me to cook the Porchetta?”
This means I’m naturally predisposed toward food oriented theology. Natural bias aside, I really enjoyed reading Tim Chester’s “A Meal with Jesus: Discovering Grace, Community & Mission around the table.” The following is just a little taste (pun intended) of a great book!
“Jesus didn’t run projects, establish ministries, create programmes, or put on events. He ate meals. If you routinely share meals and you have a passion for Jesus, then you’ll be doing mission. It’s not that meals save people. People are saved through the gospel message. But meals will create natural opportunities to share that message in a context that resonates powerfully with what you’re saying.”
Whether one looks at the cultic practice of the Old Testament, always connected to feasts, or we look at Jesus’ practice of ministry, always meeting around a meal, we can’t help but notice how important food is, finding it’s zenith in the Eucharist! It has set the cat amongst my mental pigeons, thinking how I might honour God more at the dinner table.
In other news, I wish I had Al Bain’s capacity to hen-peck at books, but I can’t shake the need to read things cover to cover… it does make my reading slow. Even worse, I have such a horrible memory. I’m thankful to whomever the Genius was who suggested noting page numbers & the subject of bits you like in those couple of blank pages you find in the back of books. Easier to look up than underlining & infinitely nicer to the book!
Tim Goldsmith 
well if you read my latest post you’ll see that I’m pretty pleased with myself at the moment for being more like you.
I like this book too.
But Jesus did run projects and establish ministries and create programs. He sent out disciples to do mission work in his absence (at least once that we know of).
He ate meals as well.
If the ‘zenith’ is the Eucharist, should it be more, er, meal-like and relational?
Bainy: Yeah, I have read your latest post. That is what made the timing of my statement so sweet!
Stuart: ABSOLUTELY! Just this very day I was chatting to the fellas in Bible Study saying that in the ideal world, we would have more than a coffee & bikkies after church, we might spend time together in a meal & communion would be experienced there. I’m in Newcastle Diocese, so communion is every week. I do appreciate, having been here for some time, the higher view of the Eucharist than South of the Hawkesbury, but can’t help but be struck by the fact that the “wafer + Chalice” experience of communion seems to be such a world away from Jesus, and upper room, & a meal…
By calling the Eucharist a “zenith” I guess I was thinking that Jesus’ expressing of it, not ours…
Yes. I think 1 Cor pushes us to see that this ‘remembrance meal’ is not only about reconciliation between us and God, but also us and us. Eating together is a powerful expression of the truth that we have fellowship together in Christ. It’s also a sign to unbelievers of the reconciling power of God. That, too, is lost when people come up to a sacred space individually to receive elements.
Have you seen what they do at Soma? http://soma-missionalmusings.blogspot.com/2009_02_01_archive.html
We haven’t been brave enough to. We should just go for it, though. This weekend might be a good time (as we’re looking at Jesus’ death in John).