But it has always struck me as so beautiful that a meal would be the central symbol of what it means "to do" church. We come together as a family around a table. It can be relaxed or formal, but either way there is hospitality and sharing and fellowship.
One of the most helpful insights that I took away last night was the phrase that one of the participants used. She said that a meal was great because "we let our guards down." This really resonated with me because I realized that of course part of the reason we come together is to come to know each other better, and we will never do so unless we let our guard down. And coming together over food and drink is ideal for creating the context where people feel comfortable and welcome. It is a place where we can talk and share.
Of course it raises more questions:
Does the way we do church work against the intimacy of a meal?
How can we make this part of our gathering together stronger?
Here are the quotes that guided our discussion last night. I especially love the Dorothy Day quote:
Dorothy Day:
"We cannot love God unless
we love each other, and to love we must know each other. We know him in the
breaking of bread, and we know each other in the breaking of bread, and we are
not alone any more. Heaven in a banquet and life is a banquet, too, even with a
crust, where there is companionship."
Eugene Peterson:
"For
the Christian, every meal derives from and extends
the Eucharistic meal into our daily eating and drinking, our tables
at which the crucified and risen Christ is present as host."
