Jesus spent lots of his time eating and drinking. That was an indication of his friendship with tax collectors and sinners. “In the ministry of Jesus, meals were enacted grace, community, and mission.” (14)
Meals should be an integral part of our Christian life. In this book, Chester shows how meals embody God's grace and give form to community and mission.
The early church met in homes, around a meal. It was not that sometimes they had lunch, or food before or after the meeting. “There meetings were meals.” (51)
“When your church family gathers together as a group of needy people and shares food with Jesus at the center and with Jesus as the provider, you glimpse God's coming world right here, right now.” (61)
Every time we eat we celebrate our dependence upon God. Fasting reminds us that we are dependent upon God for our physical satisfaction. Chester has an excellent section on God's intention for food and how we use it for other reasons.
Meals are a great way to talk to friends and neighbors about your relationship with Jesus. Evangelism does not have to be the task of “experts.” “...[M]ost people live in the ordinary, and most people will be reached by ordinary people.” (91) We have to eat. Three meals a day are opportunities.
“God created the world so we might eat with him.” (138) The future holds in it a great feast.
There is much food for thought in this little book. (Pun intended.) It is definitely worth reading.
Read his blog: http://timchester.wordpress.com/
Crossway, 138 pages.
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