Eating for mission

The table is central to our whole life as a faith community. Jesus did ministry around a table in many instances. On this World Communion Sunday, Pastor Phil Kniss said it is little wonder that the communion table has become a central piece of the Christian life. On this weekend where many Mennonites in the Harrisonburg area attended the VA Mennonite Relief Sale and ate to raise funds for the hungry of the world, and where we partake of a tidbit of bread and a sip of juice to celebrate a feast, Pastor Phil suggested that whenever Christians gather around the table there is a missional component to the activity. It provides a glimpse of the Kingdom of God. People gather as sisters and brothers in Christ and share around a table. Often these people would not relate in other settings. We do not ignore our differences but we set them aside and join together in a shared commitment to Christ. 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 reminds us that we are one body, sharing one loaf. We are the needy, gathering together just as the early church does in Acts 2:42-47.