Just made the second cup of coffee for the day, and I'm actively attempting to tune out the sound of arguing children coming from the family room next to my office at home while praying that they will (one day) learn to work these things out without parental intervention...
It seems that summer has finally made its arrival, with the sun making an appearance for about three or four consecutive days at this point. We spent the Fourth with my family in Connecticut, cooking out and ended the day watching fireworks over the lake. My two brothers and I had the privilege of "baptizing" our new brother-in-law Kevin into the McNamar family by throwing him into the lake. To his credit, he did not go easily, and he's now officially welcome in the family.
We were down attendance-wise at church yesterday, but I still thought it was a great day. We kicked off a three week series called "The Table" where we're going to look at the ways that spirituality intersects with the very ordinary elements of food. We talked yesterday about the ways that God made his grace known to people through the OT feasts, through the NT communion meal, and even the fact that in everyday, common meals, God has shown his grace and goodness to us (see Acts 14:17 for that one).
I do think it's astonishing (and perfectly to the point) that God would use something as common as food to make memories for his people. The fact that the senses of taste and smell are so tied to memory is well established, and the reality that God used meals which involve those two senses to commemorate moments in Israel's history, and in our relationship with him in the new covenant does not seem to be accidental, but rather designed to connect with what would help us humans remember. When you think about it, the elements of communion are bread and wine - extraordinarily common things in the world, and yet Jesus employs them for the purpose of establishing this memorial to him for his followers forever.
It's my hope that you will learn to find grace not just at the communion table, but at the dinner table with your friends and families; that you will learn to pray that grace would show up at your table like an extra, always welcome, guest. It's my prayer that you will learn to celebrate God's grace to you, and in the celebration have a renewed appreciation of just how amazing his scattered-everywhere grace actually is.
So, grace to you. And more grace. Because grace is good - sink your teeth in, satisfying-to-the-last drop, powerfully-tasty good.
all is grace and our only possible response is gratitude. - Henri nouwen
Posted by: Zach l | July 07, 2009 at 01:03 PM