Judging by the abundance of stories in the New Testament involving food and eating, Jesus and the early Christians placed great emphasis on community meals. All four Gospels feature stories of Jesus sharing meals with Jews and non-Jews alike. At the Last Supper, Jesus teaches the disciples to connect with Him through the Bread and the Wine of the Eucharist. On the road to Emmaus, Jesus meets two believers who do not recognize Him until He sits down and breaks bread with them.
In your volunteer community, take turns talking about mealtime rituals in your family of origin or another community to which you belonged. Who was there? Did you say grace before the meal? Any favorite foods? Use this time of sharing as a chance to get to know one another better and to reflect on the ways in which sharing a meal builds community.
Now, discuss your hopes and ideas for mealtimes in your new community. How often do you want to eat together? Who will buy and prepare the food? Who will set the table and clean up afterward? Take a few minutes to write down the results of your discussion. You can use this 'community meal contract' to guide your first meals together, and re-visit it later to make changes if necessary.
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