by Pastor Mark Moreno

Dining at Christ’s Table and with His People

I have heard it said that some of the very best restaurants that you will ever go to are off the beaten path and sometimes, they look like a “hole in the wall”. That’s true all over the world, even in Oahu. Today’s image is of one of the oldest restaurants on  the island, the Poi Factory. Poi is a traditional food for the Hawaiian people that is made up of mashed taro. It is a pasty dish that can be more or less runny. Yum!

What are some of your favorite places to eat? Are they chain restaurants or mom and pop ones? Is it fancy or a bit more casual? Is it affordable or do you need to save up to eat there?

Food is one of the great universal parts of our life and this world: We all need to eat and we get to often choose what we want and how much of it we will enjoy. I know that isn’t true of all people, nor true at all times. But when we do find a great restaurant, we typically will go back time and again. We even invite friends and family!

While all of this talk about food may make you hungry, it does get me thinking about the spiritual food we should be eating. Does your church look like a “hole in the wall”? Is it part of a big denomination or “name brand”? Is it casual or do you need your Sunday best? Is it a place where you go once a week or do you pop in a few times during the week?

In 1 Corinthians 10 we read,

“For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.”
English Standard Version

What truly feeds our soul is the Word of God and the truth that Jesus Christ is Lord!

I pray that you have a church home and I don’t care what it looks like, as long as Christ is proclaimed! True spiritual nourishment comes from the Bread of Life, the Living Water: Jesus Christ the Lord!

To keep the analogy going, know that you need regular meals every day, not just once a week. I encourage you to get into a “life rhythm” of being in worship and being in the Word of God throughout the week. It is even better to enjoy with others, just like a delicious meal! May God bless you on your walk with Him!

Copyright Family of Christ Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado