6 lessons from eating together
How one local church discovered something new by trying something old
Our church recently tried something different – we ate together on a Sunday morning as part of our service. Before you say, “that sounds crazy,” let me back up a little.
We wanted to connect the Lord’s Supper with our traditional communion service, so we tried something new.
We gathered together on a Sunday morning around tables, sang songs, prayed, read scripture, learned about the Passover meal, shared in a meal together, experienced communion, shared testimonies, and prayed for the sick.
After reflecting on this event, we have some lessons from eating together that we’d like to share with you.
Lesson #1: Don’t be afraid to take the risk
If you want to move forward, you will have to take risks. From what I know, this is the first time such an endeavor has been tried within our fellowship of churches. It would have been easy to wait for someone else to try it, but avoiding risk will stunt growth every time. All risks will end with varying degrees of failure or success. Both, however, can bring you forward.
Failure doesn’t mean the timing wasn’t right, it simply means there is more to learn. Success doesn’t mean we know everything, it simply means we are on the right track.
In any case, we learned that eating together in this new way on a Sunday morning was a risk, but it was a risk we were willing to take. As a result, we grew as a body of believers.
Lesson #2: Teaching, promoting and communicating are all keys to success
This cannot be underestimated. In fact, I’m not sure if it can be over-done. This communion experience was birthed out of a Sunday night Bible study and discussion on the topic of communion.
The weeks and months that followed included church board discussions, further Sunday morning sermons, related topics, blog posts, social media posts, and a number of one-on-one conversations.
With that said, if there was one thing I wish we did more of before the event, it would be even more communication. People want to know the benefits of a proposed idea, and because everyone processes how they understand things in different ways and means, more discussion would have proved positive.
Lesson #3: Don’t let the few who won’t participate, decide if you will take the risk
Although we tried to be optimistic, we knew it would happen – some people just didn’t want to participate and be part of something new. It’s true, we could have always taught more, promoted more, or provided more opportunity to ask questions. At the end of the day, however, some just refused to listen to the potential benefits of trying something new.
My prayer will continue to be: “God, help us to see the Gospel before our tradition, so that our traditions are fueled by the Gospel, and not the other way around.”
Our second lesson was clear – we didn’t let the few who didn’t want to participate to decide whether or not we would pursue God’s leading. We are all on different journeys and we need to respect each other's journey while moving forward. At the very least, it will be a great reason to try this experience again in an effort to give everyone the chance to participate in the future.
Lesson #4: Completely changing a traditional experience can help in spiritual growth
While new experiences can be uncomfortable, they often force us to put our traditions aside. When we lay aside the “normal” way of doing something, our usual routine can grow into a whole new experience. In this case, communion took on a new form and that new form created an environment where spiritual growth occurred.
It wasn’t just a meal, it was an experience that linked our tradition of communion with the Jewish Passover and Jesus’ Last Supper. Our communion service was successful because it was so different from our tradition and that allowed for a new connection to be made, creating an environment conducive for spiritual growth.
Lesson #5: The spirit of unity must be the central focus
Out of all of the comments and feedback we received, “unity” became a recurring theme. When Paul discussed communion in 1 Corinthians, one of his concerns was the lack of unity within the Corinthian church.
Our communion tradition normally expects us to examine ourselves as individuals before God, before partaking of individual cups and wafers in our individual seats. While we commune in one building, the practice can be very individualistic.
By eating together, like the early church would have done, the concept of communion encouraged the church at large to partake in the eucharistic experience together, not separately. It also encouraged both families and couples, young and old, male and female to join together in unity. The spirit of unity was undeniable.
Lesson #6: Expect the unexpected
In a natural fashion, we had planned for a few people to share a few testimonies after we shared in communion. To get the ball started, we asked one person to think about what they could share before the morning began.
What followed that testimony, however, was amazing! Several people, from different generations and situations, shared about how God has challenged them, strengthened them and impacted them. The key for us was to make sure this moment was as free as possible. I was willing to incorporate some degree of planning, but God was welcomed to take over at any moment.
As these testimonies progressed, God seemed to do just that, and we started to pray for the sick. The final call was for anyone dealing with sickness or wanted to stand in for someone dealing with sickness. Nearly everyone gathered around the altar and was prayed for and anointed with oil. It was a powerful moment in learning to expect the unexpected as we venture out into new territory.
Embrace the new
This new experience was a huge success for us, and I would recommend any local congregation to give it a try. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or send a message (andrewholm@gmail.com), and I would love to help you in any way I can!
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