Eating and Drinking

Then Jesus declared, I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35

We have already shared how on a cold Easter morning we gave out coffee and donuts to people selling newspapers at nearby intersections. But this was the first of several similar actions. We went to downtown Tampa and gave cupcakes out to the homeless; on July 4th we brought lemonade to some women who were all day doing landscaping work in New Tampa. And just a few weeks ago we joined Amazing Love Ministries and helped them feed the homeless. Hmmm.... It seems like we are a church who is all about food and drink!! Not to mention that we start every Saturday Seed Group with the Lord’s Supper and a full dinner; then close our time with coffee and desert. We are a faith community that gathers in and around food.

There's a precedent set for that in Scripture. Jesus also had encounters around meals. After he spoke to the crowds, he did not leave them go physically hungry but multiplied bread and loaves to the point of leftovers (Mathew 14 &15). It seems that Jesus was always down for a dinner party--and was even criticized for eating at the home of some people with sketchy characters. (Mark 2:16) Jesus even advocates giving a cup of cold water to drink (Mathew 10:42)--or maybe even lemonade? After Jesus resurrected and ascended,the theme of food continued. The first century church ate in each other’s homes regularly (Acts 2:46).

So we invite you to eat with us, and help us feed others as we follow in the footsteps of Jesus and his first followers.

A Resurrection Meal

It started out as a rather “ordinary” Easter morning. It was the morning after our Saturday night Seed Group. We got up, hurried to get ready, and headed off to visit a church. But we had the time wrong, and were early. VERY EARLY. So we headed off to Dunkin Donuts for breakfast.

Perhaps it was our feeling of discontent, a holy restlessness that opened our spiritual eyes to the world around us. Perhaps it was the chilliness of the Florida morning, that heightened our senses to where He might be working. Perhaps it was Him Himself, working in us, whispering to us, prompting us to lay down our ordinary for His extraordinary.

We prayed, there in the parking lot. Prayed for the lost world and for the “least of these”. Then we bought donuts. A dozen. And coffee—10 individual cups. Enough cream and sugar to go around and individual bags for packing completed the ensemble. With the feast prepared, we headed out.

In Florida, people often hawk their wares in the middle of the road, especially if it’s a large road with a center island. It’s a place where they can set up shop, and often those with money will hire those without to stand there in the sun, holding signs for condos, promoting events and businesses, and selling newspapers.

And of course, on this early Easter morning, they were there, bundled in layers because of the chill, shivering slightly and holding up the newspapers. 50 cents for the St. Petersburg times.

We went to them, pulling up next to the island and stopping, and rolling down our window. We told them we wanted to share God’s love with them on this Easter morn, and gave them a bag packed with coffee and a donut. Not much, nothing fancy. They smiled and thanked us, and we drove off.

10 bags, 10 donuts, 10 coffees, cream and sugar. Not the usual makings of a Resurrection meal. Yet somehow, I felt as if I’d shared in a feast greater than the many far grander, with far more accompaniments.

We never got to church Easter morning—but somehow, I think we were the Church, and allowed to be at least a small part of the nail-scarred hands and feet of Jesus to some of the “least” in our community. And perhaps, those we shared with felt His touch and presence as well. It was, indeed, a Resurrection meal.

~Pastor Hope