Giving thanks for the gift of church dinners

The ministry of food

If there is one thing that is true about most churches, we know how to eat. In all my years of ministry, I have only rarely heard of anyone walking away hungry from a congregational dinner. In those cases, it is usually because some allergy prevents a person from digging in to all the goodness that awaits at a typical potluck table.

On the surface, church meals may not seem all that important. Dinners together are fun and provide some good fellowship, but Christians are supposed to be spiritual people. Shouldn’t we be focused on more heavenly things?

However, when looking at Scripture, it turns out that congregational dinners were the vital to the growth of the church. Acts 2 tells us that the earliest followers of Jesus ate and shared their lives together.

These meals were so critical that they were also the source of the first controversy within the church. Acts 6 records the frustration that arose when certain groups of Christians were being left out. It also contains the report of the first ever church nominating committee as seven faithful disciples were named to oversee the distribution of food to those in need.

To this day, church meals are one of the places where the oneness of the family of God is most apparent. We gather around tables to tell stories, learn about each other’s lives, and to demonstrate our unity as brothers and sisters in Christ.

At First Christian Church this often takes place in the form of potluck meals where we get a glimpse into the culinary and family history of the people with whom we worship. We also sometimes use meals as a fundraiser to provide food for others within our community. This is the very reason that we participate in the kettle beef and corned beef and cabbage dinners every year.

Helping families say goodbye

Another form of church dinner was specifically held up at last week’s congregational meeting as one of our most meaningful ministries. When one of our members dies the final gift that we are able to give that individual is a time and place for their family to come together to eat, to grieve, and to reflect on a life which has come to an end.

All of the work that goes in to making this possible is more than simply baking a cake, mixing up a salad, or serving some ham. It is ministry. It is compassion in action. The funeral dinner ministry, coordinated by Carol Russell and Mildred Miller, is an opportunity to demonstrate how much that person meant to us and to our church.

Volunteers make it possible

None of these vital ministries could happen without a hardworking and dedicated crew of Disciples. A great deal of time, effort, and energy goes in to making sure that the dinners of our church are possible. The fact that everyone seems to have a lot of fun working together just makes it that much more meaningful.

Today, I give thanks for everyone who works so hard to ensure that the dinner ministries of our church are so successful. Because of your efforts, people in our community are able to get enough to eat, the people of our congregation have grown closer together, and families are able to find at least a little bit of compassion in the midst of their grief.

Thank you all for everything you do!