It is a traditional Chinese tea luncheon, where small plates of food are shared among a large group of people enjoying a meal together. Sounds great, right? Well it is!
And this past Sunday several of our families took up the invitation from our Religious Education Board and met down at the Golden Buddha in the Chinese Cultural Center for a wonderful lunch filled with all kinds of new and interesting foods, adventuresome spirits, and good conversation. You’ve got to love any restaurant that you can walk into and say, “We have 11 people for lunch,” and they don’t even bat an eye! They simply sat us at one of many enormous tables and the feast and fellowship began!
It reminded me of Jesus’ own ministry and of the experiences of the earliest Christians. It should be of no surprise that a tremendous amount of Jesus’ ministry happened around the table. Or that the earliest Christian worship services were always followed by a communal meal. After all, food fosters fellowship. Dining together is an opportunity to share our lives, share our stories, and build relationships with one another — which is exactly what Jesus calls us to do in working for the Kingdom of God.
Even though I can’t imagine first century, Mediterranean followers of Christ having any idea what sticky noodles, steamed BBQ pork buns, sesame balls, or chopsticks are, I think they would have recognized the camaraderie and faith that we shared by sharing a communal meal together.
So here is a big “Thank you” from me to the RE Board and to our families for a wonderful, faithful time together.
Yours in the journey, Rev. Brian
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