Young and Old

This past Sunday, our church kicked-off our fall season the way every season should start: with a potluck. Potlucks are a great way to bring everyone together. Cover several tables with good food and suddenly people seem more cheerful.

​I stood in line to get my burger before hitting the side-dish table, and as I looked around, it struck me how many ages

Bonnie Piovesan

are represented in our church. Parents were helping children with their plates, and friends helped push some of our honored members in their wheelchairs to a table. People were serving one another, and everyone was excited about the growing dessert table. Our gym was a kaleidoscope of ages and backgrounds. I think one of the best pictures of this was when my great-niece Violet, who is 5 months old, made eye contact with Nina who is in her nineties. They shared smiles; seeing these two women — both young and old--was beyond heartwarming!

I think the reason I like potlucks, beyond the cheesy potatoes, is that they always remind me of a coming feast. The Bible describes heaven in a lot of detail. We know what the streets will be made of, we know there will be trees, and we even have the measurements. So many details of the structure and layout helps us long for heaven and, in some way, be familiar with what will be our future home someday. But there is one thing that is mentioned with very little detail: the Wedding Feast of the Lamb. I mean, where is the sign-up sheet so we don't have 20 green salads? What is the table layout; who is running the grill? Our potlucks are planned out for weeks so that everyone can feel welcome and comfortable. The biggest fear of all church-goers is running out of food, and, yet, the Bible is unnervingly silent on the details for this feast.

What I do know is that God is preparing a feast for us. I remember this feast every time we celebrate communion. In church, I see parents and children lined-up in the aisle; our older members are served and cared for. Young and old are welcome at Christ’s table. We remember Jesus’s words and His sacrifice, and together we eat and drink the simple bread and cup. Christians do this all over the world as we remember Jesus and look forward to being with Him someday. Sometimes we even put the two together, simple bread and wine will be replaced by a feast of celebration where we will all be welcomed in.

As I watched Violet and Nina I realized these two precious women will be seated somewhere at that feast; what a beautiful picture it is to think of God’s love being poured-out to His precious people. I love potlucks, but I long for the day when the church is welcomed home and the real celebration begins.

​And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” 
​Revelation 19:9

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​In His Name,
Bonnie