Why do we share a meal on Sunday?

Rosaria Butterfield writes in her book, The Gospel Comes with a Housekey, that “the purpose of radically ordinary hospitality is to build, focus, deepen, and strengthen the family of God, pointing others to the Bible-believing local church, and being earthly and spiritual good to everyone we know.” When the New Testament church gathered to obey the Lord’s command to “eat the bread and drink the cup” (1 Corinthians 11:26), they also enjoyed a meal together. This naturally flowed from the very context of Jesus’ instituting of “the communion practice” emerging out of the Passover Seder meal (think Upper Room Last Supper). We know about this practice primarily from the abuses happening in the Corinthian church. The rich members were eating and drinking to excess while the poorer members were being neglected or even shamed. The apostle Paul strongly rebuked this practice in 1 Corinthians 11:17-34, essentially calling for a separation of the “Lord’s Table” from the “communal feasting table”.  

Nevertheless, sharing a meal together around a common table after having rehearsed the Gospel around the Communion Table reflects the kind of culture we want to build at Redeemer. We are family because of the “bread and cup” of Jesus’ death, and families share meals together. It’s far less about what we eat or how often we do it, and far more about Sunday’s being a time where the family of God is built. Building meaningful relationships requires time together around the table … with kid’s running around, the line taking too long to get food, and folding up chairs together as we finish. This kind of familial hospitality ought to lead the way for us repeating this in our own homes with one another and our neighbors. It’s certainly not a prescriptive command of the New Testament to have hot dogs or pizza after church, but it is essential to Redeemer’s mission of “Walking Together” … so don’t leave early, pull up a chair, and see who God wants you to serve!