Food in the Bible
Lorna Dean

From Genesis to the kingdom age the unfolding story of God depicts, many times over, one part of the world we know: saint or sinner, we all have to sit down and eat. Assisted in our appreciation by some of the customs and practices of meals and their preparation, we are invited to some of those meals. But this is not for foodies: the tableau of people seated and eating is the foundational scriptural device to denote service, harmony established or fellowship restored.Our calling is to serve God and in response to Him to serve each other and our wider world. We have received the welcome of the Gospel. How are we to be more like Jesus with his overflowing hospitality and message of welcome to the least and the lost?How do we ensure our Sunday table is a safe place of refuge for all of us?How do we extend that welcome of Jesus to everyone we meet?These two meditative sessions will see us walk through the pages of the bible to dine, ‘eat and think’, with kings and paupers, jailbirds and jailers to find refreshment and strength and to see the transforming power of a simple meal served with love.