Join us for Sabbath dinner this week

What can I expect at Sabbath dinner?

We’re a multi-cultural (3 continents), multi-generational (5 decades) community seeking Jesus. And we believe that in God’s family there is amazing beauty in diversity.

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

—Acts 2:42-47

People arrive around 6:30

Front door, back door, any door you choose! All are welcome. We love getting to catch up with each other and meet new friends while putting the final touches on the meal.

We spend time centering our hearts in gratitude

Slowing down as we head into the weekend, we take time to praise God for the ways He has shown Himself to be present with us throughout the week. It could be offering a single word, a whole story, or just sitting in silence.

Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and sing joyfully about his glorious acts.

—Psalm 107:22

We celebrate our unity in Jesus through communion

Each of us comes from different backgrounds and traditions—question-askers, Lutherans, Baptists, Catholics, Charismatics…the list goes on. But when we commit to moving toward Jesus at the center of our lives and our relationships, we can experience the unity Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 and Ephesians 4:1-6. We spend time intentionally celebrating that we all belong to Jesus even when we don’t see everything the same way.

We eat good food and drink good wine

We thank God for the fruit of the fields, labor of the hands, and provision of the meal by praying a blessing from the Carmina Gedalica before digging in.

May this food restore our strength, give new energy to tired limbs, new thoughts to weary minds. May this drink restore our souls, give new vision to dry spirits, new warmth to cold hearts. And once refreshed, may we give new pleasure to You, who gives us all. May the blessing of the five loves and the two fishes which God shared out among the five thousand, be ours. May the King who did the sharing bless our sharing. Bless, O Lord, this food we are about to eat; and we pray to You, O God, that it may be good for our body and soul; and if there be any poor creature hungry or thirsty walking along the road, send them into us that we can share the food with them, just as You share Your gifts with all of us. Bless us, O God, bless our food and our drink. Since it is You who bought us at such great price, save us from all evil. Give us, O God of the nourishing meal, well-being to the body, the frame of the soul. Give us, O God of the honey-sweet milk, the sap and the savior of the fragrant farms.

We wrap up and eat dessert together

Sometimes followed by a competitive yard game like Kubb, always accompanied by coffee.

We spend time in relationships throughout the week

We see ourselves as a spiritual family, so spending both casual and intentional time together are natural parts of our rhythm. Being part of a spiritual family, we recognize that our God is the giver of good gifts, and we want to support one another emotionally, spiritually, and financially as any has need.

7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

—Matthew 7:7-11