Back in a more innocent time a teacher invited the children in her second grade class to bring to school a symbol or object from their religious tradition. A Jewish boy stood before the class and said, “This is the Star of David.” A Roman Catholic girl said, “I am holding a Rosary.” A Baptist child said, “I brought in a King James Bible.” Finally, a little girl holding a large serving dish stood before the class and said, “I am an Episcopalian and this is called a casserole.”
What is it about churches and food? Here are some things shared in common
by every parish I have served:
· Each loves
pot-luck dinners.
· Each loves
a good cookout.
· Each loves
having sweets and treats set out after church.
· And, at one
point or another, the women of each parish put together a cookbook of their
favorite church dishes.
Two food memories stay with me from the parish I served in
Richmond for ten years. The first
happened at a monthly meeting of a women’s group. Each member brought a dish to share at lunch and each person
brought the same food each and every meeting. I think they did this to help set apart the plate brought by
one particular elderly lady known for not keeping a clean house/kitchen. At the first meeting I attended as the
new rector a kind woman whispered in my ear while we were in the serving line,
“Take some of Laura’s food, put it on your plate, but whatever you do, don’t
eat any of it.”
The other memory involves the single bravest thing I have
ever done in parish ministry. In
working with the Vestry to dream up a way to make the Annual Meeting a better
attended event, I suggested we have a pot-luck brunch. The idea met with general approval at
that leadership level, which, in hindsight, was sorely lacking in
representation of women who typically prepare dishes for church meals. Call for a pot-luck dinner – no
problem. These ladies had their go
to dishes honed to a fine art. A
cook-out where everyone brings something for lunch – they were on it. But the notion of a pot-luck brunch
pushed this dependable crew into uncharted territory. Oh, the weeping and gnashing of teeth that ensued cannot be
described. Sure, Jesus calmed a
storm or two, but I guarantee you he would have shivered in the face of this
tempest. The Vestry had to conduct
actual internet research to suggest potential brunch dishes in order to quiet
the quell. Eventually my faith and
determination bore fruit because the women of the parish came through with the
single most unbelievable brunch spread I have ever seen.
The connection between faith communities and food goes way
back. In today’s readings we hear
again about significant events from both Testaments where food plays an
integral role. In the Old
Testament, God sends the less than satisfying provisions manna and quail to
feed the people. In the Gospel,
Jesus blesses a few barley loaves and fish and then distributes them so that
everyone has enough to eat their fill.
As John the Gospeller tells the story, Jesus’ act is to be
taken as a sign of a deeper spiritual feeding. Jesus knows that God created us to be resourceful, independent,
to spread out our wings and fly.
But like an adult child who never leaves home, the crowds follow Jesus
because they want him to meet their most basic needs – needs they should tend
to on their own. Bread for your
body you must get for yourself, Jesus tells them. The bread that I give to you is for your soul; bread that
will give you courage and hope and compassion and purpose and peace and all the
things that get taxed as you labor to get bread for your body.
Did any of you eat at Chick-fil-A this week? As you most likely know, the act of standing
in line to get a fast food meal of processed chicken has become an incredibly
complicated, politically and theologically charged event. In a recent interview, Chick-fil-A’s
founder and president volunteered that he believed same-gender marriage goes
against the teachings of the Bible.
I am not sure why he chose to comment on this, but I for one was not
surprised by his position.
Chick-fil-A is known as a ‘Christian’ business; the most obvious
manifestation of which is being closed on Sundays. While not their official language, Chick-fil-A strives to
live out the Episcopal baptismal vow to respect the dignity of every human
being – be it employees, suppliers, or customers.
Still, the president’s position angered some… and I
understand why. Some encouraged an
organized a boycott of franchises… and I understand why. Others responded by encouraging
like-minded people to go in mass to a Chick-fil-A this past Wednesday… and I
understand why. But since then, back
and forth the barbs have gone… and I just cringe.
I pondered this all week as I have prayed about today’s
readings. I have wondered what, if
anything, I could say in this setting to make some sense of this latest
maelstrom in our public life.
After a week on mediating here is what I have to say: nothing. I simply cannot make sense out of yet
another facet of this on-going debate.
On one hand, if you are going to boycott a business because of the
owner’s beliefs, shouldn’t you do your homework in order to figure out what
other business owners hold beliefs contrary to yours? On the other hand, do we really make a strong witness for
Christ by standing in line for a value meal at a fast food establishment? Are these really what the faith and
faithfulness have come to mean?
Here is one more common characteristic of every parish I
have served: each has been a faith community gathered around two tables. One table sits in the holy space we
call the Sanctuary. Each week from
this table the faithful receive the Bread of Life – the Bread of Heaven. It is a meal that connects us with God
and makes us aware of those who are gathered with us. Typically the other table resides in the Parish Hall. This table, stocked with coffee and
lemonade and baked goods, serves to create a space where the faithful meet one
another in a setting that reminds us that God is in our midst.
In some shape or form, all meals ought to do both. They ought to connect us with one
another and they ought to connect us with God. Ultimately, what makes me sad about the Chick-fil-A
bru-ha-ha is that serves to further diminish the spiritual nature and
possibility of every meal we eat.
We live in a very complicated world. If we could investigate every business
and every friendship and every institution we would detect things we find
laudable and inspiring and things we find troublesome and objectionable. There is, I believe, no safe enclave to
be had where everything I value and believe is perfectly mirrored. And thank God for that, because if we
take seriously the nature of sin we must recognize that no one – starting with
me – has it exactly right. If I
shelter myself from the evil influences of the world I do two things: first, I
might protect myself from that which can corrupt me, but I also cut myself off
from the fire that might refine what is not of Christ in me.
What we in the church offer to the world is this: two
tables… one where we encounter God in the presence of others and another where
we encounter others in the presence of God. I invite you to both of these tables. You will meet here people who affirm
you, people who challenge you, and people who do both. All will enrich your life.
Jesus said food is food, but through the food I give to
you I offer something more. In a
week when one type of food served at one establishment has de-evolved into a
debate between who stands on one
side of a social issue and who stands on the other, today’s Gospel reminds us
that Jesus presides over meals at every table in order to make us one in his
love.
