Just a taste
On Sunday, August 18th, we will have our annual “One Worship” service here at St. John’s at 10:00 AM. No other services will be held that weekend as we focus on this year's theme, “This is US.” We will celebrate the unity of the body of Christ and how its varied parts work together to live out the good news of Jesus Christ in our daily lives.
I have come to anticipate and appreciate this service more each year. It is a high-energy day packed with events, people, and, well… yes, there will be food. This year, we won’t have food trucks, but we will have dessert and plenty of opportunities to connect, sign up for our youth activities, and get in gear for all the fall has in store here at St. John’s!
This focus on dessert comes from our family and cultural backgrounds. There isn’t a culture that I know of that doesn’t have some treat that is saved for special occasions. These delicacies are often sweet and come at the end of a big feast on special occasions like Christmas or a family wedding. I am going to bring two that are based on my heritage and my family practice. There will be tables with different taste-sized (read small!) portions for you to try and learn about your family in Christ here at St. John’s. you are invited to bring yours; you can learn more about this and how to sign up in the news.
Food has always been connected to my faith life—and it is not just potlucks and desserts! Each time we gather for worship, we get a little taste, or “a foretaste of the feast to come,” a phrase I have sung countless times in worship. When we gather for Holy Communion, we get a taste of all that God has prepared for us to feed us now and forever in Christ.
Finally, this has put a story in my mind. You may be familiar with the story of “Keep the Fork." It goes like this…
A woman was diagnosed with a terminal illness and given three months to live. She asked her pastor to come to her home to discuss her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at her funeral, and what scriptures to read, and which outfit she wanted to be buried in.
Then she said, “One more thing. I want to be buried with a fork in my hand.”
The pastor was surprised. The woman explained, “In all my years of attending church socials and potluck dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, `Keep your fork.’ It was my favorite time because I knew something better was coming, like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie — something wonderful. So, I want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and wonder, ‘What’s with the fork?’ Then, I want you to tell them, `Keep your fork, because the best is yet to come.”
Yes, by all means, keep your fork; the best is yet to come. But bring your fork to join us for worship because we have a little taste for you, and all are invited to the table.