Feasting In the Kingdom

The Apostle Paul writes, "the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17); and yet there is a lot of eating and drinking going on in the kingdom. In the Gospel of Matthew our Lord describes the kingdom as a wedding feast given by a king for his son (Matt. 22:1f). In the Gospel of John, the beloved disciple records that Jesus began his public ministry at a wedding banquet in Canaan (John 2:1). And the Last Judgment, the kingdom is described as the marriage supper of the Lamb for its members--but for those outside the kingdom, they become a feast for the vultures (Revelation 19). Even the Old Covenant liturgical calendar with its sacrificial system was characterized--not by multiple fast days (that was its perversion by the Pharisees and Scribes whom Jesus excoriated), but by three main national Feasts--multi-day festivals in which the whole family participated in commemorative meals, in addition to the Peace Offerings which were eaten within the Temple precincts themselves, by the whole family, with the priest, before the presence of the LORD.

Weekly Communion

Each week we gather together as the Body of Christ to celebrate a foretaste of the marriage supper of the Lamb. As a Bible-believing church, we hold to the equal ultimacy of both Word and Sacrament, that the worship of God's people is not just a warm-up for the main event: a 45 minute sermon. Nor for that matter may the Sacraments be disconnected from the Word of God (which otherwise breeds superstition). Rather, the Lord ministers to us both in the preached Word and as we feed upon Christ at His Table. He speaks to us verbally as the Word is read and preached, and then He invites us to His Table where He feeds us spiritually, giving us sustenance (the bread) and festal drink (wine), as we feast upon Christ through faith. Unlike many contemporary evangelical churches, we affirm the real presence of Christ at His Table (I Corinthians 10:16f). Why do we feast before the Lord every week? Because there is grace and healing in His presence (I Corinthians 11:29,30). Because our Lord, in His resurrection appearances on the first day of the week, ate with His disciples, and promised to be with them to the end of the age. So how could anyone not want grace?

Monthly Fellowship Meal

On the first Sunday of every month, our congregation gathers together following worship for a meal, held in the Little Creek Conference Room. The food is fabulous, but the fellowship is even better! As the meal concludes, adults typically linger over dessert and coffee while the children play outside. Over the past few years, our boys have even engaged the pastor in polite medieval combat.

Sabbath Day Feasting at Home

On those Sundays when we are not eating together as a congregation, we encourage our families to enjoy the Lord's Day as a feast day, a day for bringing out the best food, the best desserts, the best wine or beer and enjoying these blessings as a family in celebration of our redemption in Christ on His day. Some of our families begin their Lord's Day celebration on Saturday night with their Sabbath Day feast. Others do so on Sunday afternoon. The key, however, to a right understanding of the Lord's Day and of the Christian life, is that since the Resurrection happened on the first day of the week, we begin our week with joy, worship, and celebration, whether gathered around His table or our own.

Reformation Day Festival

Because it is appropriate to set aside times for thanksgiving to the Lord for his favor and deliverances, as a congregation, on the last Saturday of October, we celebrate and remember the Lord's mighty outpouring of His Spirit upon the Church during the 16th and 17th century Reformation. Reformation Day (November 1st) commemorates Martin Luther's nailing of the 95 Theses upon the Wittenberg castle chapel door in 1517 which sparked the Reformation. We unapologetically and with great enthusiasm celebrate this 16th century recovery of the Gospel of grace, which at root is the foundation of all our liberties as a people, with a day of feasting which would have made Luther himself proud. Good food, good drink, country dancing, target shooting, cigar smoking, games and more are a staple of our annual celebration of free grace and liberty in Christ. See what you missed here:

Last update: 5 February 2009