On Tuesdays, we gather for The Community Dinner Church.
There's no bait and switch, no invitation to come for dinner and then trapping you into listening to a lecture. It is exactly what it says it is: Community. Dinner. Church.
First, community. No one should have to go through life without their people. The Community is a place to hang out and be with people who accept you however you choose to show up. There's a song by LeCrae and John Legend called "Drown."* Some of us have felt this way, like we've been let down and we're drowning. Maybe you're feeling this way right now: lonely, tired, hungry, or afraid. You don't know if you can handle being around a bunch of Jesus people; you only know you can't do life alone anymore. That's because you weren't designed to be alone. We believe that people were created to live in community. In the beginning (Genesis in the Bible), God said, “It is not good that man should be alone." Show up at 5:30 to chat while we get dinner ready.
Second, dinner. They say there's no such thing as a free lunch, but we really do serve a free dinner. Everyone needs community and everyone needs to eat. At around 5:45, we share a simple meal. We all eat together at tables, but if you're not ready for a family-style dinner, ask for a to-go box. It's a free meal, no strings attached. We follow the teachings of Jesus, and he told us that if someone is hungry and we give them something to eat, we are serving him.
Third, church. But it's not what you think. See, when the church first started, people met in homes and in the marketplace, talked about who Jesus was and what he and his disciples had taught, and shared what it meant to them. The Bible says "the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the community, to their shared meals, and to their prayers. Every day, they met together in the temple and ate in their homes. They shared food with gladness and simplicity. They praised God and demonstrated God’s goodness to everyone." It's not complicated. Church can be people hanging out together, sharing a meal, and talking about God. We take a quick break so that anyone who doesn't want to stay can take off, and begin the table discussions at 6:15. No lecture, no sermon, no judgment.
* Drown
'Cause You're my final breath before I drown
I'm drownin'
Lost in this world, with these waves all around me
Deep in the darkness, where it's heartless
I don't know if I can make it, I'll be honest that
I'm fadin'
Trapped and I feel like it ain't no escapin'
Down to the bottom, all these problems got me drinkin'
Might drown in this bottle, all this drama got me thinkin'
If I had one call, would You answer it?
Or would You take back all of Your promises?
'Cause I don't know who to turn to or who to trust
I don't know who to turn to or who to trust so
Tell me that You'll never let me down
'Cause You're my final breath before I drown
You're my last resort, when it's too late
You're the only one, who takes my pain away
So tell me that You'll never let me down
Come save me
'Cause I've been in way over my head lately
Shame got me sinkin'
Goin' off the deep end
Heartache took my breath away, now I'm barely breathin' and
I'm hopin'
'Cause this the only thing that keeps me sober
I feel like I'm losin' it
Like "What am I doin' here?"
I need You to bail me out
I need You to pull me in
If I had one call, would You answer it?
Or would You take back all of Your promises?
'Cause I don't know who to turn to or who to trust
I don't know who to turn to or who to trust
So tell me that You'll never let me down
'Cause You're my final breath before I drown
You're my last resort, when it's too late
You're the only one, who takes my pain away
So tell me that You'll never let me down
