On Saturday hubby and I, along with our daughter, and our son and daughter-in-law went kayaking at Baker Lake. It was great fun!
Upon arriving at the lake, we first had a picnic lunch together before getting out on the water.
We each brought our own picnic lunch. It was so much fun to see what we each brought for our lunch.
Here you can see my sandwich – a rotisserie chicken sandwich made on homemade bread, with arugula & butterhead lettuce (which I grew from my Advent Seed Calendar). It was tasty goodness!
Our daughter brought a mini bbq-chicken pizza she had made, along with a fresh fruit salad – which included fresh pineapple and fresh strawberries. Yummy!
Our son and daughter-in-law had brought sandwiches like hubby and me, but they also had beef-jerky sticks … and fresh green grapes, freshly washed and in a container. Yum! Hubby and I had only brought a couple of apples as our fruit.
I did remember to include some of hubby’s favorite cookies – Chocolate Crinkles.
As we all sat around together as a family, enjoying our own individual picnic lunches we had packed, it was great fun to delight with each other over how awesome each of our different food items were.
My daughter knew her brother really liked fresh pineapple, so she shared a couple of pieces of fresh pineapple with him.
Our daughter-in-law knew our daughter really liked beef-jerky sticks, so she shared a beef-jerky stick with her.
I had accidentally forgotten to bring some candy as a sweet treat, so my son and daughter-in-law gave me some Peanut-butter cups. Yay!
As I think about our fun picnic lunch at the lake, this to me is a perfect picture of what Christian community looks like.
We were family all sitting around enjoying a meal together. In the same way, those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ are called “family.” In Romans 8:14-17 we read that we are “children of God.”
Just as I sat together with my own family at the lake, delighting over the different food items we each brought for our own individual picnic lunches … in the same way when we as Christians get together with other Christians for times of fellowship and community, this right here is what we are doing.
God’s Word is described as “food” (Honey – Psalm 119:103; Bread – John 6:32-35; Milk – 1 Peter 2:2; Meat – Hebrews 5:12-14).
When we get together with other Christians for times of fellowship and community we are each bringing our own “picnic lunch” (so to speak) with the “food” God has given us from his Word – the Bible.
What I bring as the “food” in my “picnic lunch” will look different from the “food” you bring to the “picnic” in your “picnic lunch.” Because what God gives each of us from his Word is uniquely different … and uniquely special for us.
When my family and I brought our picnic lunches to the lake, the picnic lunches didn’t automatically appear on our kitchen counter, all ready for us to go. No. We each had to put some effort into gathering the food items and preparing our picnic lunches. We each went to the grocery store to purchase food items. I baked fresh bread for mine & hubby’s sandwiches. Our daughter made her own bbq-chicken pizza. We did some preparation first, in order to bring food to the lake for our picnic together.
So also, in the same way, when we gather together with other Christians for times of fellowship and community, the “food” we bring (from God’s Word) doesn’t automatically show up in our head for us to be able to share at our “picnic” together. No. We each have to put some effort into gathering the “food” and preparing our “picnic lunch.”
For example: I personally enjoy listening to three different online preachers. I receive spiritual “food” from the insights and truths they share from Scripture. These three different online preachers do not replace my own pastor whom I learn from each Sunday morning, who also “feeds” me with insights and truths from the Scripture. And the sermons I listen to do not substitute or replace my own gathering of “food” from the Scriptures and my own personal time spent with God.
You most likely have your own podcasts of preachers whom you enjoy listening to. You receive spiritual “food” from the insights and truths they share from Scripture. And you have your own time of gathering “food” from the Scriptures and your own personal time spent with God.
Someone else might really enjoy a Christian author and devotional Bible studies. From these sources they receive spiritual “food” as they dig into the deep truths of Scripture. And of course they too have their own time of gathering “food” from the Scriptures and from their own personal time spent with God.
So we all, just like my family at the lake, gather our spiritual “food” … just like each one of us in my family gathered and prepared our picnic lunches.
Then as Christians (as part of the family of God) we come together for times of fellowship and community. We “get together for a picnic lunch at the lake.” (so to speak)
We pull up our chairs together, just like my family did at the lake, and we each open up our own individual “picnic lunches” which we have brought.
You pull out the spiritual “food” God gave you during the week. All of us in the family are delighted as we hear the spiritual truths and insights you learned which you never knew before. That’s so cool! What awesome “food” you have in your “picnic lunch.”
I don’t have any “food” like that in my “picnic lunch.” But check out what God gave me this week! And I pull out the spiritual “food” God gave me during the week. “Whoa!” everyone says, as we all sit around enjoying our “picnic lunch at the lake.”
And then someone else in the “family” opens up their spiritual lunchbox and pulls out the “food” God gave them during the week. Whoa, that’s the coolest insight ever! I’ve never thought about that passage of Scripture like that before.
I think this right here is what Christian community looks like.
This is Christian fellowship and community.
