Bringing ALPHA Dinners Home

If you’ve been part of ALPHA for one course or more, you will no doubt agree that an important part of the “DNA” that makes the program work is the fantastic food as a means for creating space for hospitality and conversation. For some churches, fantastic food means one thing (pizza) and it may mean another thing for others (beef kabobs). But the fact that food is present is important. 

Jesus often interacted with people over meals. Whether it was feeding the 5,000 with loaves of bread and fish (Matthew 14:13; Mark 6:30-44) or turning water into wine (John 2:1-10), it’s no wonder people followed Jesus….he offered free food and drink! Starving college kids should love Jesus for that alone! Even after he rose from the dead, one of his first actions in John 21:1-14 was to cook his disciples fish for breakfast! And he didn’t just dine with his disciples, he ate with “sinners” too. He visits a Pharisees home in Luke 14:1-14. No Christian can ignore the main meal he participated in, The Lord’s Supper, that serves as a reminder for Christians today to "taste and see that the LORD is good,” reminding us of his death and the life that is offered if we spiritually “feed” on Him daily for substance and strength.

So Jesus was a big fan of meals. ALPHA is a big fan of meals and hospitality too. But an “ALPHA meal” can happen outside ALPHA in our own homes. My host family here in Seattle models this well. They host a dinner party one Saturday per month and invite Christians as well as non-Christians to attend. He prepares a meal fit for a king, which this time of year in Seattle is the popular Copper River Salmon. Last month we hosted a diverse group of people, some from different faith backgrounds and some with no background at all. The conversation was great and they were excited to talk matters of faith (without us bringing it up). There were seeds planted during this simple (and tasty) meal.

Clearly God works in food and conversation. Jesus modeled it. ALPHA models it. We can model it too in our own homes.