St. Patrick Presbyterian Church, Epc

We’re wrapping up a whole semester of sermons haunted by the prophecy of Habakkuk. His potent and provocative image of a world “filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord” has influenced our own vision statement: “Saturating our neighborhoods with feasting families who tell a better story by setting tables of God’s grace for the lonely.” So, as our energy turns toward family holidays over the next several weeks, I think it would be helpful for us to consider just what exactly elevates a shared meal to the status of a feast. There are three main features that overlap to form a feast – focuses that make sure our holidays are holydays:Love – Genuine affection for and self-denying service of both family and guests.Luxury – Gratuitous sensual provision, far beyond what is necessary for survival.Liturgy – Grateful acknowledgement of God’s glorious story in every event and detail.All three of these features are needed for a Biblical feast, and to neglect one or two is to miss out on the formative practice al