Sermon Notes for Sunday, September 2, 2007
The Prominence of Food and Dining in the Bible:
- The chief feast in the Hebrew Scriptures is the Passover meal, celebrating their freedom from slavery in Egypt.
- Many of their 613 mizvot or commandments deal with dietary restrictions.
- Time itself is structured around a seven-day week, climaxed with the family meal each sabbath evening.
- Genesis 18: the story of Abraham and Sarah ‘entertaining angels’ (referred to in Heb. 13:2).
Jesus Takes Food and Dining even Further
- John 2 — The Wedding of Cana
- John 6 — The Feeding of the Five Thousand
- Luke 7:35 — Jesus eats with the outcasts
- Luke 14 — Today’s Gospel about the Banquet
- Luke 15 — The Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Lost Son (“Prodigal Son”), all ending in a celebration feast.
- Luke 24 — The disciples on the Road to Emmaus don’t recognize him until he blesses and breaks the bread.
- Acts 2:44-47a — “All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. 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 all the people.”
Artist: Bryan Sirchio
Album: Artist’s Hand
“Table of Friendship & Love”
I met this teenage heavy metal freak
He blew my mind away
When I found out what he did in his school one day
He said I’ve never gotten into all these “clique-y” groups at school
I mean someone’s always left out — not everybody’s cool
But then he went on this church retreat
And he heard how Jesus talked about a table where everyone belongs
He said I got this wild idea — at first I had to think it through
You see you can’t be too direct these days with religious stuff at school
He said I even said a prayer that God would show me what to do
And then he told me exactly what he did (he said)
(Chorus)
I found an empty table in the cafeteria
I put a sign in the middle that said
Friendship and Love
No one needs a clique here
There’s a place for everyone
At the table of Friendship and Love
He said I sat there all alone at first
Feeling kind of like a jerk
He started thinking maybe this idea’s not gonna work
But it was like a sign from Heaven
When this freshman nerd walked up
And said, is this for real?
And the metal head kid said, yup
So they ate their lunch together — the thrasher and the nerd
And it was like they sent a message — that was way too deep for words
And it didn’t take too long before everybody heard
About this radical new thing going on (at that)
(Chorus)
(Bridge)
And he said you won’t believe it man, but at our school each day
We’ve got jocks and heads and nerds and freaks
And every social class and race
Breaking bread together — and though we’re not allowed to pray
When the walls come down like that —
How can God be far away . . . from a
(Chorus)
…an empty table in the cafeteria
I put a sign in the middle that said
Friendship and Love
No one needs a clique here
There’s a place for everyone
At the table of Friendship and Love
Crosswind Music
Words & Music by Bryan C. Sirchio
© 1995 Crosswind Music Ministries
All Rights Reserved – www.sirchio.com
