Why Easter Breakfast at St. Luke is more than just a meal together.
by Kimberly Fick, Communications Manager
Jesus did much of his earthly ministry around the table, often in situations that would have the religious folks raising their eyebrows in wonder and concern. The shared table is across the globe and in many cultures one of the most intimate and robust ways for us to connect with one another as humans. For St. Luke, as a reconciling community, we believe that table fellowship is more than just a way to enjoy a meal together. It is an act of resistance against the enemy’s strategies to divide us. It is an act of worship to respond with gratitude to all that God has provided for us. It is an act of divine reconciliation as we all are all called to be ministers of reconciliation. Easter Breakfast is not just a tradition we uphold for tradition’s sake. It is a time to love God and love one another and love our neighbor as we embody the very work of Jesus.
I invite you this week, every time you prepare food to notice the gifts of the earth that sustain your body. Breathe a prayer of gratitude for the taste, the smell, the texture, the nutrients. As you mix ingredients and participate in the act of creation, notice how God gifts you the holy work of creation even in an every day chore. Notice and breathe a prayer of gratitude for the freedom and strength to prepare a meal. As you sit to eat, remember how Jesus utilized that sacred time of caring for our bodies to also care for souls. Notice the souls around you. How can you offer care for them as you eat together? Even in the washing of dishes we can practice gratitude and breathe a prayer of worship for all the gifts that we experienced in that meal.
As you eat this week, think ahead to Easter Breakfast and all the gifts we can give and receive at this precious time. Worship as you kneed the dough. Worship as you prepare the tables. Worship as you clean and take out the trash. This is holy work, and Jesus is right there with you.
“Meet us in the making of this meal, O Lord, and make of it something more than a mere nourishment of the body. Make it the center of a sheltered space where Grace freely flows. Let the comforting qualities of the dishes we prepare, become catalysts for a rich fellowship, a warm consolation, and a fruitful increase of holy affections.”
From Every Moment Holy, Volume I by Douglas McKelvey.
