Meals Matter

"The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” - Mark 10:45
"The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost" - Luke 19:10
"The Son of Man has come eating and drinking" - Luke 7:34

One of my favorite rhythms of Loon Mountain Ministry is our commitment to share meals with people. Nearly all of our gatherings are accompanied by food of some sort. Although we joke about how much we love to eat, the choice to host meals is an intentional one that takes quite a bit of time and effort. One of the most impactful books that I have read and that I frequently recommend to people is called, "A Meal With Jesus" by Tim Chester. In the book Chester examines the gospel of Luke highlighting how Jesus used meals to extend grace, build community, offer hope, enact mission and demonstrate his salvation for us.

Its common to hear believers say they want to reach out to unbelievers but they don't know how. There are thousands of books written on mission and church planting with all kinds of studies on evangelism strategies. When we look at Jesus life, we see that his strategy was not nearly as complicated. He gathered amongst the religious and the non-religious alike, eating good food and sharing intentional, meaningful conversation for hours on end. I challenge you to look at how you use your meals to reach others around you. Food is not simply meant for fuel. As Chester says, "It's not always easy- it involves people invading your space or going to places where you don't feel comfortable. But It's not complicated. If you share a meal three or four times a week and you have a passion for Jesus, then you will be building up the Christian community and reaching out in mission."

"The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45)
"The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10)
"The Son of Man has come eating and drinking" (Luke 7:34)