Food and Fellowship
By Noah White for Saltbox Quarterly in 2024
The aromatic smell of hot dogs and burgers wafted from the porch in front of Mr. Roger's house into the parking lot of Griggs and the surrounding Poe Mill neighborhood. Audible chatter and raucous laughter beamed out into the warm June air as brothers and sisters in Christ conversed excitedly with each other over their meals. I joined the line late—almost everyone had passed through already—but that didn't really matter.
I spoke with Isaac about his upcoming work opportunities, our conversation occasionally being interrupted by the fire alarm being triggered from the grill smoke outside. Justin grabbed me from his table right before I got to the end of the line. He excitedly pointed at the mac and cheese on his plate and said with an earnest intensity I have rarely seen in his eyes, "Buddy, you have to get this. This is amazing." So I did, and he was right … it was amazing.
While I enjoyed all the food that was prepared for the congregation that night, that won't be what I remember about that night. So why, then, do we feel the need to have weekly dinners during the summer Wednesday services?
Well, Griggs is special in a way that I believe all churches should be: the members are a true congregation. It didn't matter where I wandered that evening—I had enriching conversations with every single person I spoke to. In all the churches I've attended and visited, I've rarely found one so tight-knit and connected so beautifully as Griggs is. I believe these dinners are a significant part of this connection.
When I spoke to Mitch about his purpose for having these dinners and having them as often as we do, he sent me a verse and some thoughts regarding it. Acts 2:42 says, "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." The early church put so much emphasis on fellowship (they did that over food-centric gatherings as well!); this is how they got to know each other and grow closer in their common bond in the Gospel. That common bond holds us closer than any normal friendship. "The Scripture tells us that we're more than just congregants," Mitch said. "In fact, we're like a big family."
Griggs isn't satisfied with just going to church and sitting in pews and singing songs with a bunch of people we've never met. We want to be a family that prays for each other, supports each other, and comes together to worship and serve our Most High God together. As we continue to meet every Wednesday this summer, I look forward to growing closer to and fellowshipping with these amazing people that the Lord has blessed me with.
