The Twelfth Doctrine - Food

I read recently of an officer saying that the twelfth doctrine should be 'We believe in food, eaten in fellowship'.
Many of our churches are characterised by this idea. Food can attract a crowd - it does when we have a Men's Breakfast. Food can break the ice with people - it does when I offer someone a piece of cake after Church. Food is often the centrepiece of a catchup meeting - it is when I take people out to lunch for a chat.

Food becomes a missional strategy at times, to strengthen relationships, to make people feel welcome, to create a warm environment.

In Revelation 3:20, Jesus says, 'Look! Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear me calling and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal as friends.'
Remember the first miracle of Jesus was turning water into wine at a wedding feast.
What about the Last Supper? Those powerful words shared over a meal together.

In Deuteronomy, God asks the Israelites to bring a tithe of all their produce from their fields (10%) and bring it to the prescribed place of worship, so that everyone can share in a meal together and remember the Lord who provided for them. The bringing of the food to the place of worship was about obedience and celebration.

We must give thanks to God for the wealth and luxurious amounts of food we have in the Western world. So many starve and others have to work all day for a meagre amount of food. We don't take it for granted, and we recognise the possibilities that a simple thing like food does to help fulfill God's mission.