Supper Club: West Island
Inaugural Gathering: Friday, October 18, 2024
“When we invite friends for a meal, we do much more than offer them food for their bodies. We offer friendship, fellowship, good conversation, intimacy, and closeness. When we say: “Help yourself … take some more … don’t be shy … have another glass,” we offer our guests not only our food and our drink but also ourselves. A spiritual bond grows, and we become food and drink for one another. In the most complete and perfect way, this happens when Jesus gives himself to us in the Eucharist as food and drink. By offering us his Body and Blood, Jesus offers us the most intimate communion possible. It is a divine communion.” -Henri Nouwen
When a group of 30-odd folks met in the basement of Christ Church Beaurepaire for the first meeting of Supper Club: West Island, there were (and still are) very few preconceived notions about the community that will continue to be built. We wanted food, worship, and conversation – and we wanted a gathering that would be different than “regular church”. There is a time and place for formal services and beautifully crafted liturgy; the goal is not to replace this type of service but to enhance and supplement it.
As churches across the country have doubtless experienced, attendance at (and interest in) a weekly church service has dwindled, particularly from younger families. There are a myriad of reasons for this decline, but one of the main culprits is the growing sense of over-commitment made by many families.
Between work, school, and extracurriculars, church falls by the wayside and frankly, is barely missed. What was once a joy and a good way to connect with community can quickly become a burden – and yet, Jesus said something about burdens, didn’t he? “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28).
As the church, should we not be trying to find creative ways to lighten the burdens of families, rather than presenting another?
Enter a monthly meet-up. Supper is provided. Musical worship that engages the whole family is integral. Conversation prompts and questions are provided. Games, discussion, and spiritual enrichment for your children (rather than something to simply keep them quiet) is provided. And hopefully, an atmosphere that is open to believers, seekers, and doubters alike, is provided as well.
This was the kind of gathering that our own family needed; surely there were others who felt the same?
There certainly were at our first gathering, and our prayer is that as this community takes shape, the flexible and informal nature of our gatherings will evolve naturally to fit the needs of the community. Much like the earliest Christians did, we strive to “worship together at the Temple, meet in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and share meals with great joy and generosity – all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord adding to their fellowship those who are being saved.” (Acts 2:46-47 paraphrased.)
Radical hospitality and informal gathering is not a new concept, as we can see from the above example, and so our goal is to re-prioritize the importance of this at our supper club.
Henri Nouwen said it best. As members of the body of Christ, feeding each other physically as well as spiritually, we ourselves become an offering. We become a sacrament. And bite by bite, meeting by meeting, we become a community.
Supper Club: West Island meets on the third Friday of each month, at Christ Church Beaurepaire. For more information contact [email protected] or visit www.montreal.anglican.ca/latest-news/2024/10/4/new-family-oriented-all-ages-supper-club-west-island.
