Eating - Part 1

By: Paul Novak on: 31.08.09

So, having yarned for too long on “Sentness” and “Blessing,” let me pop on over to “Eating.” In my mind, and of course, all these blogs are my opinion and not necessarily the views of the crew, the “Eating” part of BELLS is where the boat attempts to row against the current. And personally speaking, I think we are going backwards. But also let me confess, we’re going that way because it’s crew like me who just aren’t really pulling their weight.
“Eating” for me has two main aspects. The first is that of hospitality. In our post modern western civilisation centric times, the virtue of hospitality appears to be a little ignored. Henri Nouwen states that ‘the concept of hospitality is one of the richest concepts to deepen our insight in the relationship with our fellow human beings. It may offer a new dimension to our understanding of the healing relationship and the formation of a recreating community.’
At the moment, a group of us are studying the life of Joseph as presented in the First Testament. In Genesis 46, I was struck how Pharaoh, by offering Joseph’s family the area of Goshen, was only participating in the obligatory form of hospitality to the family of the man who saved his throne. In ancient and modern Middle Eastern culture, being hospitable is almost a written law. It is simply what you do and anything otherwise is seen as the height of rudeness.
One of the most classical examples of hospitality shown by a biblical character is told in the Genesis 18 narrative. Here Abraham looks up from his tent, sees three strangers walking past, runs out and begs them to come in for a meal. Not just Maggi’s two-minute instant noodles - but a full blown feast. Now that is going-out-of-your-way, over-the-top, hospitality. The author of the book of Hebrews picks this story up and tells readers to be hospitable to strangers, for they could be angels – for that is what happened to Abraham.
Now for the boat, the “eating” part is a wonderful way to second the blessing that just preceded it. A bit like a confirmation really. You walk in to the hall, a blessing is pronounced and in no time at all you are offered dinner. You are given the gift of life affirming words, then another of life sustaining food. There is no questioning about the sin you may have done last week, or what you actually believe about Jesus. No, in a physical and human form of grace, you are offered to have your needs met.
I was contemplating this order and its symbolic significance whilst participating in another church’s liturgy and thereby noted the difference. In a more traditional set of practices, this church placed confession of sins, offering of money, reading of scriptures, confession of faith before the “eating” bit. Mind you the eating bit was not the same form of hospitality as you only ate a wafer of the bread offered at Jesus’ table. Still, it’s there in the way that is practically possible for larger congregations.
What I noted though is that having things in that order is helpful in terms of human psychology. It’s much easier to receive if you have prepared yourself for the gift. Even if that preparation is simply a confession of guilt. But with Small Boat’s order in liturgy you are receiving a gift in a “shocking” order. A delightful reminder of the “shocking” nature of God’s graciousness as mentioned by Jesus in so many of his parables. I mean to say, which employer would pay the same wages to those that worked one hour as those that worked eight? Such behaviour shocks our human sensibilities.
What I wonder though about the boat is that with the informality of the way in which the gift is given actually diminishes the significance of the giving. Without a sense of the table being the Lord’s the meal descends into a church’s potluck dinner – a social gathering that plays no spiritual significance other that lubrication for conversation. Don’t get me wrong. If that is the purpose of eating at the boat then it has achieved its goal – one hundred fold. However, I just get the feeling we are missing out on something far more precious by allowing the informality of the setting to dictate a commonly perceived meaning.
I’m not saying that without pomp and ceremony you cant have meaning in a gathering. By no means. If Oprah met me one day on the street – and with no audience or cameras – casually told me to live a life in the power of ‘now’ and then just tossed me the keys of a new hybrid car, I would still receive the gifts of word and mobility, but the significance of each is somewhat lessened by the way she passed on the items. However if she passed on the same items in the same setting, saying the same words about being present to the now, but this time showing full intention by looking me squarely in the eye and firmly placing the keys of the same car in my right hand – then I dare say I would drive that car with a whole lot more consideration.
Instead of blabbing to all and sundry about how I met Oprah and she gave me a car, I might actually keep my mouth shut, only mention it to a few others, but as I drive around actually rethink about how my own absence from the present moment is driving me further from God. Who knows, I may even change my thinking about my lifestyle. Christians use a word to describe that activity – they call it repenting.
Hey, want a lift somewhere?

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