2007_sermon1224.html


	"Taste and see that God is good, all the time".

	Alan Jones

Feasting and Tasting

Rev. Dr. Alan Jones

December 24, 2006

Psalm 34:7-9; Luke 14:12-15

I can't imagine that there are too many of us who need encouraging to do some feasting during the next few days. My guess is that our refrigerators are filled to overflowing with more food than most us could ever consume.

Some of the power of the feast image is lost on people like us, who generally have plenty to eat. In much of the world today and in most of the world's history, people struggled to eat. Ancient people normally had one meal a day which probably included bread, fruit and vegetables. Cheese was an occasional delicacy, and meat an even rarer delight. Most people existed on a bare minimum diet.

So, f or ancient people, a feast was almost a different world. It was like moving from a shack in the wilderness to a palace. It was like living on potatoes and green beans for whole year and then, one day a year, having steak and all the trimmings.

Feasts were rare events. At a feast, you would have everything your heart desired, and whenever there was a feast, everyone would come and everyone would gorge themselves on wonderful things. People did not miss a feast, because the feasts were the opportunity to have a decent meal, perhaps one of only two or three for a whole year.

It is against this cultural backdrop that Jesus uses a number of parables about feasts to describe the Kingdom of God. The feast of the kingdom is a feast for everyone, and when we say everyone, we mean everyone. Nobody is excluded. Nobody is a second-class citizen. Right before this story in Luke's gospel is Jesus' teaching about taking the lowest seats at the banquet table, not the places of honor.

In the kingdom of heaven, the normal measures of status are turned upside down. That's why Jesus is saying, instead of inviting your family, or rich neighbors because you want an invitation back, invite the people where relationship might be difficult. Use the feast as an opportunity for building bridges. Invite the misfits and the people from the wrong side of the tracks – people who can't afford to return the favor. Break out of the predictable.

The United Methodist Church in Claremont, where our dear friend Sharon Rhodes-Wickett is the pastor, has caused quite a stir because they have built their normal nativity scene on busy Foothill Boulevard, but instead of Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus etc. they have placed a homeless family in the manger scene.

It may be too late to invite somebody else to your family feast tomorrow. Don't worry about that, but think about how you and we can build unpredictable relationships in 2007. Who can we invite to our church potlucks? Who would never expect to be invited? Let's invite them! Let's struggle with difficult, maybe uncomfortable conversations over dinner for the sake of building God's community in this place.

In a few moments we are going to share in the ancient tradition of the Love Feast. Love Feasts were common in the early church and then were revived by early Methodists. We joke about how much food Methodists eat, but the tradition of meeting and eating is deeply rooted in Christian history. As well as celebrating Communion, the early Christians would share a simple meal and take advantage of the time for sharing faith with each other, speaking of the blessings of living the Christian life as they ate and drank together.

Maybe this might be a good starting point for your feasting over the next couple of days. Instead of simply tucking into all the food and feeling bloated, make some time as you sit around the table to share the ways in which God has blessed your life. In addition to the meats and sweets and delicious sauces, share some spiritual food. Invite children to say thanks to God for the blessings in their life. Invite the elders to celebrate their children. Invite parents to say how their children and their own parents have blessed their lives. Give some spiritual gifts this Christmas, so that the feasting isn't only a feast of calories, but a feast of spiritual food. Taste and see that God is good , as the psalmist says.

Our banner is a Wonderbread banner – the real wonder bread.

Let's pause for a commercial:

Always fresh, soft and delicious – Wonder is America's favorite brand of white bread.

Wonder has helped America build strong bodies for over 80 years. It provides essential vitamins and minerals, an important part of your family's healthy diet. And today Wonder is more nutritious than ever before. Every slice is an excellent source of calcium and a good source of folic acid.

And another commercial might say:

Always, fresh, sweet and delicious – God's spiritual wonder bread is the preferred food of people of faith and love.

God's wonder bread has helped people of all nations for thousands of years. It provides the love, nurture and grace that are essential to your personal and your family's healthy spiritual diet. And today, God's love is more nutritious than you ever imagined. Even a tiny taste of God's grace can heal your soul of all its ills, and stop violence and injustice in the world.

Mother Theresa came to visit the United States years ago. When someone asked her what she thought of our country, she said, “I have never seen so many starving people.” Isn't it strange that we live in a country with an abundance of food, yet someone as wise as she would see us as starving?

She had seen the poverty and hunger in India; indeed, that had been her work for so many years, yet she saw us as starving. She was right – the physical food was very much in evidence, but she saw a nation starved of God's grace and compassion.

So, as we celebrate Christmas this year, let's plan to feast on the spiritual food of love and blessing that is God's most precious gifts to us. Please enjoy the feast of food and savor the wonderful tastes, but take time, too, to celebrate with love your family and friends, take time to recognize God's blessings. Take time also to reach out to somebody who hasn't already been invited to your feast.

Make your home a place of welcome to all people, especially those who might think there is no welcome for them there. Taste and see that God is good. All the time God is good . God is good all the time.