Reading: The Role of Food and Hospitality in a Bible Study

The transcript discusses the integration of food and fellowship into Bible study sessions, emphasizing the biblical basis and practical benefits of such an approach. Here's a structured outline of the key points covered:

Introduction

• Introduction to the significance of incorporating prayer and food into Bible studies.
• Explanation of the importance of communication (talking and listening) in building relationships, which is analogous to the relationship with God developed through prayer and scripture.

Biblical Basis for Fellowship and Food

• Reference to Acts 2:46-47 to illustrate the early church's practice of combining worship, fellowship, and communal meals.
• Discussion on the sacramental history linking food with divine acts, from Passover to the Last Supper.

The Role of Food in Building Community

• Food as a fundamental element of fellowship that enhances the relational aspects of Bible studies.
• Historical context of communal meals fostering a sense of unity and belonging among participants.

Practical Approaches to Integrating Food into Bible Studies

• Suggestions for different formats of incorporating food into Bible study sessions:
• Dessert Only: A simple and less burdensome way to include food.
• Potluck: Encourages shared responsibility and variety.
• Catered Meals: Reduces preparation stress and allows focus on the study and fellowship.

The Power of Hospitality

• Emphasis on the power of hospitality to open doors and hearts, potentially leading to deeper spiritual connections and conversions.
• Personal anecdotes illustrating how hospitality can lead to significant spiritual and communal growth.

Engaging Activities to Enhance Fellowship

• Introduction of games and activities to make Bible study sessions more engaging and less intimidating, especially for new members or those less comfortable with deep personal sharing.
• Explanation of how side activities (like games) can serve as icebreakers and trust-building exercises.

The Importance of Inclusivity and Engagement

• Encouragement to create an inclusive atmosphere through shared meals and activities, helping to foster a sense of community and mutual care.
• Strategies for making everyone feel involved and valued, such as having participants contribute specific items to meals.

Conclusion

• Recap of the benefits of integrating food into Bible study sessions as a means of enhancing the spiritual and communal experience.
• Encouragement to consider the unique dynamics of each group when planning food-related activities to ensure that they enhance rather than detract from the spiritual goals of the Bible study.

So here we are. We've just talked about prayer in Bible studies. I suppose no Bible study should not be a lesson snappy talked about it unless we talk right now. Weird food has something to do with bible study the early church Acts 2:46-47. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people in the Lord added to their number daily those who are being saved. So that was very, I think it was very insightful every day. They continued to meet together in the temple courts. In other words, they had a church service because the topic was that was a big group. Right? 

So they had big groups, group meetings, they group. them, they broke bread in their home. So now they have these home Bible study. And that's where the breaking of the bread took place. And it was both a meal, but also was a communion service. So it was a meal with purpose. Alright, so this has some history to it. The history is in the Passover, right, Exodus 12:3-4, tell the whole community of Israel that on the 10th day of this month, each man has to take a lamb for his family, one for each household of any household is too small for the whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor. Okay, so if you know here God is trying to teach his people, the people were slaves in Egypt, right? And they didn't know who God was who was God. And here, here's this incredible salvation moment. He's going to save them from the save lives, slavery of Egypt, bringing them into the Promised Land. And he does it with this sort of sacrament. 

And it's food. It's related to food. Jesus is going to, you know, sort of bring the Passover forward into communion, meaning within rites, disciples, and in doing the Seder service, but he transforms it into this communion service. And again, it's done with food, the wedding banquet, you know, the end of the world. The imagery is this banquet, and people gathering around food. So much of the ceremonies in life are around food. So my wife and I did the hospitality and fellowship mini course. And both of us comment on how powerful food is food at the center communion at the center of it all. Why do you think that is? A basic need we all share? And I think I mean, I've reflected it when we share that basic need together we feel connected I think going out to eat with someone you feel that there's a passage in the Old Testament how enemies through the work of a Elisha waiters were actually attacking the end of the day they had a feast in Samaria with the king, and then it's an I raided Israel no more powerful about hospitality and fellowship that transcends all of us, right? Luke 15 starts out with the problem of Jesus.

The self righteous teachers of the law had a problem with Jesus because they said he's with the sinners. And not only is he with them in that culture eating was someone is like, intimate, intimate experience. Right? That's powerful. I think it's representative of the intimacy but it's also leads to intimacy. powerful so there's options and we just put three down here you can have a dessert only sometimes. You know, sometimes if you go too big and you food and someone has to prepare all thiswork, then people don't want to do it because it's too much work. Dessert only is fine. Yeah, depending on the time that you meet. Other times like a potluck. Hey, everyone brings something so it's not a burden. Not on everyone, or you can have it catered just pay a little money and have it brought you know you know i We talked about our church planting and I would say this to any church planter. If you can get really amazing at food and having people over. You know, one of the I remember a story in Oregon where, you know, I felt always called everyday to talk to someone. And and I remember one time I just put my finger in the phone book, this was back in the 1990s called that person and talk a little uncomfortable. And I said, would you and your husband, wife who answered by come up to our house for a cookout. And amazingly, she said yes. And they both became believers, he was an accountant became an accountant and bookkeeper for the church, mainly because a cold call was when to warm food in five minutes occurred. Sure. And then fellowship. 

Sometimes groups start off with a game like, game, like the kind of games we did when we did young people, you'd have a fun little game, there's all kinds of different things, you can look up little games, in the house warming kind of games. The reason these can sometimes be important, is because especially in the beginning, if you get people that don't know each other well, and then you launch into the Bible study, and there are some personal questions, especially for guys. Right? The guy culture is like, you know, it's not ideal for the Bible study, setting, you know, right, we're gonna meet in a small group and bare our soul. Another in the guys that like, oh, you know, let's just watch a football game. Right? Okay, so that's what a game does what what guys do is like what we're doing right now, we're sitting side by side, and we can have a conversation together. And once in a while, we'll look over here and say something. But we don't have to sit like that's too intimate for most guys. And so that's what games do are like, they're things on the side. So what happens in the middle of the game, you're joking, you're laughing. You're saying things you're learning about each other. Trust is being built. And warming is now another thing that can work. 

But again, often in the beginning, a new person isn't going to know songs, but it used to be our culture, we would sing it every occasion. There were folk songs, there were patriotic songs were all kinds of different songs. And we've sort of gotten away from that. Maybe a modern version of this is YouTube video, where people get together and they share you. We did that the other night. We shared songs that meant something to us. And we've had why. Why is it interest? You? are less interest to you? Why isn't God but it was, it was really cool. In other words, we didn't have to be great singers, right? Because we're letting the YouTube video do but our interest in music to us used. So the point is, the whole point of food and, and games and fellowship is, is to create an atmosphere where we're relationships can take place where there's a lot of talking and listening, right? There's, there's a thing called snow on the mountain. 

 

And what it is, is every person coming over is encouraged to bring one item, you have to bring the the walnuts, right crushed walnuts, right, someone else has to bring some coconut, right someone else has to bring. And then there's a whole list of things. And they have no idea why they're bringing these things. And then host makes this sort of chicken base, something or other. And then everyone puts their ingredient that they brought diced tomatoes, and there's all these different things. And they put them in bowls in a row. And then you create this snow on the mountain, the rice and the snow. You start with the base. And then you go and add all these weird different things that you've never put together. And people are like, how's this gonna work out? And it's amazingly good. Have you ever done that? No, no, it's amazingly good. But what's cool about that is everyone is involved. They bring the thing and when they come over, they're preparing things and getting bold and chopping up things. And again, in the cracks of doing things, fellowshipping, a lot of communication happens, which now makes it possible to have a better more meaningful Bible study. So these are just a few ideas. I mean, food. Do you like the sea theme do that? Do you like or do you like to cook? Is there somebody within the group that loves hospitality? I've known over the years. Some people there's a few people that just don't My gift is I want to cook and then you do the The power of eating together is really what we're saying and so we're encouraging you to put that into your Bible Study Plan.