Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Chefs the new worship leaders in missional communities?

There's an interesting post over at curious in ibiza entitled: Chefs the new worship leaders in missional communities?
Here's a couple of paragraphs from the post:
So in the birth of new communities the chef will become more important than the musical worship leader. After all a well prepared meal set in front of many people for feasting and fellowship is an act of worship. More emphasis should be put on food within our gatherings. When I led a church in England one of our most successful mornings was when we shut down our main service cooked bacon sandwiches and watched the football world cup, it was a little male dominated and the football helped but bacon sandwiches for me are the way forward.

There is power in food, power in sitting in a circle, power in drinking wine together, power in inviting others in to share what we have prepared.

We welcome others in, they don't feel alienated and unsure of what to do or how to act, food makes people comfortable. Maybe discipleship training schools should do a whole section on cooking?

5 comments:

Walking Church said...

OREC at its finest.

What is the measure of Jesus?

Walking Church said...

secondary thought...Hedonism

So we are back to the old question...Can we eat food offered to idols?

Perhaps temple prostitues may come back in vogue?

The real root - Is Jesus, His Spirit asking the body of Christ to do this...are we doing only what the Father does? I cannot answer for them...but on the surface just sounds likes 'doing' something for the sake of 'doing' or a deeper shade of marketing.

oncoffee said...

I think you may have misread the article. The way I read it was that the "stuff" we normally do doesn't connect with those outside of the church. Food does. Food / eating together was a vital part of Jesus' ministry.

Of course, like anything, it can be abused and distorted and turned into a program - but I think there is something here.

It's over meals, coffee that conversation takes place... and conversation is essential to relationship

Walking Church said...

It still doesn't answer the acid test.."Is this what Jesus is asking you to do" - today, not 2 thousand years ago either.

We can always hang out at the highly missional Tim Hortons...or the ever favorite church goer's specail place on Sunday afternoons ...Swiss Chalet.

If you want to connect outside...try talking to your co-workers or neighbours and by the way actions do speak louder than words...

I don't buy it - ask the chefs at the Salvation Army soup kitchen.

Anonymous said...

I can hear the revised chorus now...

And they'll know we are Christians by the size of our gut, They will know we are Christians by our gut.

On another note, maybe Obesity in America is actually a sign of something good. Supersize me!