Mr. Farmer and I hosted Life Group tonight in our home. Our church’s small groups meet in homes a couple times a month to fellowship together with food, rich conversation and a study in the word of God. This time of connection is so meaningful. What a blessing it is to encourage one another as Christians….to build each up, deepen relationships and enjoy a meal together.
Tonight our study was on, “What is the Church?” We discussed many sub-topics in this lesson. One definition of the church is that it is the invisible body of Christ…the true believers…true followers of Jesus Christ, past, present and future. And only God knows who has truly surrendered his/her heart to the Lord and received Christ as Savior and Lord (John 1:12) . This would be the “invisible church.” The “visible” body make up those attenders we see at the local church.
Of course “the church” is also a building. And we discussed what those buildings looked like in our years of church attendance. From hard pews, stained glassed windows, pipe organs and elegant facades to rented rooms and living rooms. We concluded it doesn’t matter the “brick and mortar”. What matters is the gathering of the “body” to worship our Lord and Savior, to teach from the bible and to equip the saints for the work of the Lord. We begin this work within our homes, our local body, our community and to the ends of the earth with the “good news”, the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Some biblical metaphors of the church are “body of Christ”, Jesus Christ being the head of the body and the believers being the body itself (I Cor 12); the family of God, where the believers are brothers and sisters with God being our Father (Abba or Daddy); and of course the bride and groom picture, where Jesus (the groom) will come back for His bride (the believers) and that we should at all times be ready for His return, because He IS coming. (Eph 5:32) The bible is rich with metaphors…there is always something new and true to study. One thing is certain. As we sit around the table or on softer chairs in the living room we have this common thread. We love the Lord and we all want to know Him more and serve Him better. Another thing is certain. We love and care for one another. And we are very thankful we surrendered our hearts to Him. Jesus is truly worth living for.
I fixed this new recipe for our group.
In our care group, we gather with food for a light meal. Tonight I greeted one at the door with the same dish I, too, made. We laughed about our “new” recipe and declared how great minds think a like. I inquired about this sandwich recipe I overheard a gal talking about as I was getting my hair cut. My friend got her “new recipe”very recently and thought she’d give it a try, too. We liked it! Hope you do too!
- 24 slices of deli ham
- 6 slices Swiss cheese, cut into fourths (or shredded mozzarella)
- ⅓ C mayo
- 1 T poppy seeds
- 1½ T dijon mustard
- ½ C butter, melted
- 1 T onion powder
- ½ t Worcestershire sauce
- 2 pkgs (12 counts) King's Hawaiian origian Hawaiian Sweet dinner rolls
- Keep rolls together, cutting them horizontally through the middle. Spread mayo on top and bottom. Place a slice of deli ham on each roll, then the cheese. Place top of rolls over the ham and cheese. Place each in a 9x13 pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together poppy seeds, mustard, melted butter onion powder and Worcestershire sauce.
- Pour sauce over the rolls, just covering the tops. Cover with foil and let sit on counter for 10 min.
- Bake at 350 degrees for approx 12-15 min or until cheese in melted. Uncover and bake another 2 min until tops are slightly browned and crisp. Cut apart and serve warm.
Whether our group “breaks bread together” or not, we always enjoy each other’s company. The Lord never intended for the members of His body to be Lone Rangers, so if you’re dangling out there…..get connected. You’ll never regret it!
