Dinner Church

 This is an old idea.  What if we gathered around a meal and did a Eucharist while we ate it? The first Christians did this.  (See First Corinthians.  See 1st century Judaism.)  A Eucharist is also called the Lord's Supper or Holy Communion.  It is the ancient act of breaking bread and sharing a common cup of wine as a sign of reconciliation, for the forgiveness of sins, as a participation in Jesus' death and resurrection, and as a foretasting of a future reality in which all are fed and no one hungers or thirsts.
I'd also heard about St. Lydia's, a Lutheran mission church in Brooklyn practicing dinner church.
So we did it. This is what we did.
We gather around tables in a semi-circle.  We bring food to share.  We light candles.  We pray.  We listen to two stories:  A gospel story and a personal story from a new disciple of Jesus. We pray and we celebrate the Eucharist.  Here is the outline:

       Dinner Church.  Liturgy of the Eucharist

L=Leader; A=All

L          God, the creator of the heavens and the earth, the seas and the stars;

A         Show us your love.

L          Jesus the Christ, light and life, our salvation and peace.

A         Show us your grace.

L          Holy Spirit, breath of life, our comforter and guide;

A         Show us your power.

L          O God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:

A         Give us your peace.  Amen.

L          What are the greatest commandments?

A         You shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul, and all your strength; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Psalm 51

L          Have mercy on me O God, according to your lovingkindness;

A         in your great compassion blot out my offenses;

L          Wash me through a through from my wickedness,

A         and cleanse me from my sin.

L          For I know my transgressions and my sin is ever before me

A         Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right Spirit within me.

 All are invited to cast away their regrets, mistakes, guilt, and Sin by throwing a stone into the water basin.  We believe that Baptism unites us with Jesus, cleanses us from sin, and renews us in the Holy Spirit.

A reading from the Gospel of John

 We read the story in parts.  Tonight we need the voice of the woman and the voice of Jesus. 

A conversation with Beca Zimmerman

The risk of being vulnerable and the power of God to form us into called people with a mission to encourage others. 

Reflection time. 

Prayers of the People (A time to pray for people who need God’s peace, power, grace, and love.)

Liturgy of Thanksgiving

L          The Lord be with you;

A         And also with you.

L          Lift up your hearts;

A         We lift them up to the Lord.

L          Let us give thanks to the Lord our God;

A         It is right to give God thanks and praise.

L          In the night when he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples saying:  Take and eat this is my body given for you. Do this to remember me. Again after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to all to drink saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sins.  Do this to remember me. 

  

A         Our Father in heaven, Holy is your name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen

Sharing the bread and cup:  All are welcome to receive the bread saying: “The body of Christ for you.  And the cup saying: The blood of Christ for you.

We sing:          Eat this bread, drink this cup, come to me and never be hungry;

Eat this bread, drink this cup, trust in me and you will not thirst.

L          God is with us in the beauty and power of creation

            God is with us in the love that heals, forgives, and brings peace;

            God is with us in the Spirit that binds us together and makes us one.

            God, the creator, Jesus the savior, and Holy Spirit, giver of life be with you.

A         And also with you. Amen.

Let us depart in the peace and love of Jesus Christ

Liturgy means work of the people.  And so we entrust each other with holy words and holy things. There are many leaders, speakers, and servants around the table.  Last night, 30 people came with more food than we could eat.  The woman who participated in the gospel reading has never read scripture in public as long as I've known her.  Another young adult prayed the opening dialogue.  Children prayed the prayers of the people.  Another young adult prayed the departing blessing. Beca told her story.  We pass the bread and the grape juice.   It feels very communal.

There was a point at which Beca disclosed long-held beliefs in her own inadequacy, like she didn't matter to anyone.  Like no one should care about her. She actually believes that shit. She was taught to believe it in subtle ways by her family.  But it has become internalized.  She believes in her own unworthiness.  So I invited anyone else who has felt that way to stand.  Everyone stood with her and around her.  And communion happened in that moment.

There are unbaptized people in the room.  There are lifelong Lutherans in their 70's in the room. There are babies and single mothers. There are recovering alcoholics.  There are families.  There are teens and thirty somethings.  

When I proposed that we do this, I did not expect this to happen.  

Anyone can come.  Bring something to share at the table. If for nothing else, come for a great meal with a community hungry for a place to experience God's grace.  

   

  

            

the one about the well

Having an uncomfortable conversation with someone is never easy. Try talking about racial injustice and white privilege in a room full of black and Hispanic people. I had the frightening privilege of doing that in Atlanta in January. It was a hard conversation and we were kind and merciful to one another.   

Think about the last time you had a difficult conversation with someone.  Maybe it was this week. With a spouse or a child or a coworker or a parent…Maybe it was like talking to a wall of... miscommunication, misunderstanding, misinterpretation.  We talk past each other.  Put up walls.  Dig  trenches.  Retreat. Hide. Lie.  Divert. Blame. We let emotions cloud judgement and speak harshly.        

Last week's gospel story was the clandestine meeting at night from John chapter 3, Nicodemus and Jesus.  Nicodemus was a respected elder in the religious community, who was concerned about Jesus and about his own reputation. So he goes at night, in darkness, secretly.  He asked questions.  He received more questions and riddles about spiritual rebirth and the love of God.  I know John 3:16 is in there, but the conversation was more than a sentence.  It was an internal conflict about essential matters of faith. It's not easy talking to John's Jesus because he can be so esoteric. And yet, he's open to a late night meeting with a man who could be his religious superior.  Sometimes we have to initiate the tough, uncomfortable conversation because our own consciences are burdened.  Sometimes we have to question our own beliefs. Are we open to the possibility that someone like Jesus could point us to God in a way our safe religious habits can't?       

Today it’s the well confrontation. It’s not easy talking to Jesus. Because he knows.  He knows the woman at the well, her story of broken relationships, abuse, and bad decisions.  He already knows.  And we get a little creeped out.  I don't want to believe that someone knows my inner thoughts, my habits, my secret faults, my mistakes.  But the story shows that Jesus knows. And he loves us anyway. And that’s a little hard to believe, too.