Chapter Five

Where two or three are gathered together there had better be food.

            In my first charge they pounded us!  I had no idea what that meant and from some of my early experiences in the Church I was a little worried.  But what that meant was members brought a pound of flour, a pound of sugar, a loaf a bread, canned vegetables, coffee, and even meat to help the new pastor as they began their service.

            It is has been amusing to see that the higher my salary has gone the smaller the food gifts have become.

            Food is like oil in a car for the Church.  It lubricates the flow of both the parts of the Church and the activity of the Church.  Community is built over table and we share our lives even as we share a meal.

“26 ¶ And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." 27  \Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. 28 "For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (Matthew 26:26-28 NKJV)

            Notice they were already eating when Jesus held the first Communion Service.  Jesus offered Himself to the disciples even before He suffered on the cross and taught us that our unity or communion is found in our being nourished by Jesus Christ!

            The bread in Holy Communion is the Body of Jesus Christ.  I really do not get that picture with the tiny wafers that will stick to the roof of your mouth if you aren’t careful.

            Is there not something amazing about seeing a loaf of bread ripped into pieces enabling you to see the suffering of Jesus for you!  When I rip the bread I know that it was me that beat, broke and killed Jesus!  But as I taste the bread I celebrate and “taste the goodness of God”!

            As I gaze into the grape juice that is the blood of Jesus I am reminded that Scripture teaches “in the blood is the life”.  I know that because I had a blood disease and at one point my white blood cells were attacking my platelets and I was dying. 

            When I drink the blood of Jesus I receive His life into me and that is a fuller and richer life now and a forever life also!

            Think about this for a moment.  As you take in the “elements” of body and blood they immediately are broken down starting in the mouth to the stomach.  They become nutrients for your body and will feed every cell in your body!  So it is spiritually!  Jesus nourishes your soul and enriches every part of you!  You really are fed, physically, emotionally and spiritually!

Fruity Trees

            From the beginning it seems our relationship with God has revolved around food of one kind or another. We can eat of the Tree of Life but can’t eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  But once we ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil we could no longer eat of the Tree of Life. 

            Point 1- How stupid to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil when we

            already had the good knowledge and did we really need the other?

            Point 2 – God kept us from the Tree of Life so we wouldn’t live forever so messed

            up by sin!  Thanks for the Love God!

Feasts

            This lesson is not about the Feasts and I do not want to belabor the point but there sure were a lot of Feasts in the Bible.  Just about every season of the year had a feast and it was to be shared in community.  The haves were to share with the have-nots and everyone was fed and brought together over food.

There were times of fasting also but I believe that this time was to help us appreciate all that we had and to aid us in being able to rejoice in those times of plenty. 

Dinner on the ground

            That phrase puzzled me at first.  Dinner on the ground?  I mean, can’t they buy tables?  But think this through.  We gather for a meal and we come together at a certain place at a certain time and that becomes not just common ground, but as we come together in Jesus Christ it becomes Holy Ground!

            In the Old Testament whenever someone had a meeting with God they would gather stones from around them and commemorate that place of meeting by building an Altar.  Bethel was one such place and its name means place of God, or place where you meet God!

            For us in the New Testament times we built a church!  Churches are the people who come together to feed on the grace and love of God and to worship the One who has blessed and nourished them.  So we build a building and they are such a part of that experience we call them churches. 

And we fill them with tables!

Tables to eat meals on!

Tables to be fed on God’s Word!

And the central Table that encompasses both - the Altar!

            The next time you go to your church (building) look at all the tables and understand that they are all central to becoming and being the Church and are sacred to your Bethel!

What is your favorite Table at your church?

Do you invite others to your church to sit at Table with you?

Where is your Bethel?