One of my favorite books of 2003 was Conrad Gempf’s Jesus Asked.
Gempf’s new book is titled, Mealtime habits of the Messiah: 40 encounters with Jesus. It is a glorious journey through Christ’s radically open table (though of course is about much more than eating). I find myself wondering, “Did Christ ever turn down an invitation to a party?” We won’t find the do’s & don’ts of “Kingdom Etiquette” in Emily Post’s work; we must look to Christ.
I wish I had read Mealtime Habits a few months ago. I was team-teaching a course at Mars Hill Graduate School called, Essential Community. It was our desire to craft transforming moments which would highlight some of the biases and prejudices – which we all live with – while nudging students – as best as able – to move toward relationship “with” rather then “against”; not dismissing differences but actually hearing the ‘other’ engaging the differences and opting for ‘us.’
We invited a number of guests to participate with students in small groups while working through case studies. All this was wonderful; the problem was that we planned to end our course with Communion. As you may know, Communion can be difficult enough with Christians from different traditions, but that was the least of our concern for this gathering. A Rabbi and an Islamic Cleric choose not only to stay with us for Communion but they also to participate, (BTW – I was thrilled. I love Ted and Jamal and consider a holy privilege to break bread with them in honor of the Crucified and Risen Christ).
In the weeks that followed . . . well, you can imagine some of the conversations at the school and in its chat rooms.
Although Gempf’s text does not solve my “Communion issue”, it does help me reflect on the obscenely inclusive nature of Christ’s practice of table fellowship. Gempf paints a vivid picture of Christ “the host” who seems to be part Martha Stewart, part Jay Leno and part prophet. The text portrays Jesus as fun, warm and dangerous.
I liked the book’s marketing line from the back cover, “It’s not exactly how one would expect God to occupy himself.”
Gempf is fast becoming one of the fresh voices in Biblical studies to whom I keep returning. I highly recommend Mealtime habits of the Messiah.
peace, dwight
