Tuesday, January 19, 2016

The power of food

[From December 15, 2015]

"Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of the people."
(Acts 2:46-47a)

The early church did church before they had a church... building, that is.  After the day of Pentecost (aka The Birthday of the Church!), the followers of Jesus began spreading like wildfire!  The book of Acts chronicles their endeavors.

What's interesting is that they didn't engage in some multi-faceted "outreach program."  They simply lived into the joy that comes from a relationship with Jesus.  They:
  1. Gathered for worship...
  2. Ate their meals together in each others' homes (also remembering Jesus' last supper with them)...
  3. Were generous and shared their resources with those in need...
Evidently, this was contagious.  People were drawn to this generosity, joy, and willingness to share.

Today people freak out hearing that the early church "sold their possessions and distributed the proceeds to all in need."  We're probably way too attached to our stuff, to be honest.  But we can still be generous in so many other ways - including "eating with glad and generous hearts."  Pray before meals.  Buy a friend lunch.  Truly enjoy the food you're eating.  And eat with others.  Often.  Let your joy be evident (and contagious).  It sounds like a small thing... but it can make a big difference in someone else's life.  There is power in food.

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