Thursday, April 23, 2026

It is the 23rd of April 2026. Welcome to the Christian History Almanac, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org; I’m Dan van Voorhis.

Today, the 23rd is the traditional feast day for St. George- dragon slayer, patron saint of England and so much more… in fact, so much more that I have pushed his show to the weekend edition- there’s some real fun stuff there- and to fill thee St. George sized hole in today’s show- my man- 9 year old Thor from mom Julia has a question. Thor in Seattle was invited to a friend's house for Passover, and so he read the abbreviated Seder with his mom and said, "I like meals with stories. We should do more meals with stories." Julia continues: Are there events or people in church history that could be remembered/taught about through food? Other than the obvious Lord's Supper.

 

I love these questions- because food and eating are SO central to our faith and our history. Obviously, the Jewish people were told what and when to eat- how to feast, etc. There’s something deeply connected between eating, being cared for, being in fellowship, remembering, and being thankful.

 

And sure- the Lord’s Supper is kind of the pinnacle of it all… but that’s not a “regular meal”. Many in the early church practiced what was called an Agape Feast- or “love feast”. This was a special meal- a whole meal, not like communion, and everyone in the church community ate together. They blended aspects of Jewish feasts and Mediterranean tradition, and for the first 300 years of the church, it was seemingly very prevalent. It was picked up again by the Moravians in the 1700s, and John Wesley- of the Methodist tradition- found it practiced amongst them in Georgia when he visited the American South.

 

A couple of things stick out about that meal- it was meant to be without class distinctions- rich and poor- paid for usually by the richer- but turning normal “fancy” meetings on their heads.

Today, Thor and others, you likely pray a blessing over your meal before you eat (what we say and how and where is its own story, perhaps). You probably say something like “dear God, thanks for all of this”- which is great! But as part of that old Agape Meal tradition, and following Jewish tradition, you would bless the food, “God be with this as it nourishes us,” etc, and then you give thanks after you’ve eaten. It makes sense, but at my house, sometimes we just say “ok, we’re done? Whose doing the dishes?”- when maybe it should end with the thanks- at least that’s how the Agape Feasts went.

 

You would bless the food, serve it, and then share stories about what God was doing in your life or what Scripture you were reading- everyone goes around and says something, someone picks a hymn to sing… you finish and say thanks.

 

I should also add that Christians have long made special foods for seasons- “hot cross buns” isn’t just what I learned on the clarinet in the 4th grade- but a treat that reminded us of Jesus sacrifice. Perhaps you’ve had a “king cake,” and everyone hoped they got the plastic baby in their piece- a feast for Epiphany and the kings from the east who come to give gifts to the true king. The church has tried to tie feasting and fasting to its rhythms, but sometimes- especially us on the Protestant side- got nervous that things were getting out of hand. Some have also gotten nervous because the Agape Feast doesn’t require any ordained person to preside and so… well, things can get out of hand. It seems Paul himself may have written some of his harshest critiques for the churches whose agape feasts were getting out of hand.

 

Should we not do it because it can get out of hand? At my church, we eat together a lot. With my family, when we get together for birthdays and holidays, we often have it resemble these older feasts with songs and testimonies throughout the meal. So- my man Thor in Seattle- you are thinking along with the early church- let’s make more of our meals and tell stories at them- of what God has done, and is doing now. How could we start little feasts amongst fellow believers- maybe that’s one way we can bring the riches of the church’s past to the present. I’m gonna keep thinking on this one as I continue to weave together the story of St. George for the weekend edition. I’ll be traveling the following weekend, so perhaps if you can send me some questions, we’ll put together something like a weekend mailbag for that. I’m at Danv@1517.org.

 

 

The Last word for today comes from the daily lectionary and 1 Peter:

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

 

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 23rd of April 2026, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by a man who presides over all his meals, beginning with “Rub a dub dub…” he is Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by a man who’s always up for a good “Come Lord Jesus” before the meal- Dan van Voorhis.

You can catch us here every day- and remember that the rumors of grace, forgiveness, and the redemption of all things are true…. Everything is going to be ok.