“Comfort food” first appeared in the 1972 Webster’s Dictionary. The phrase describes food that promotes a feeling of well-being and contentment. We often associate these foods with pleasant, childhood memories.

Comfort cuisine typically features a high sugar and carbohydrate content: sugary desserts, macaroni and cheese, fried chicken, grilled cheese sandwiches, or pizza. And chicken soup is always good for the soul.

Comfort food also plays an important role in the Bible. In the Old Testament, breaking bread with others was a covenantal act of faith. Manna fed the Israelites in the wilderness. The Psalmist described God: Preparing a table in the presence of mine enemies. The Jewish people described God’s coming kingdom as a Messianic Banquet.

In the New Testament, Jesus performed his first miracle at a wedding feast in Cana of Galilee. Christ did some of his best work while sitting around a table with his disciples. The only miracle recorded in all four gospels (other than the Resurrection itself) was the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. On their final night together, Jesus shared with his friends a last supper. When Christ appeared to the disciples after the Resurrection, he asked them for something to eat.

Comfort food continues to be an important part of church life today. Congregations gather each Wednesday for a Family Night Supper. We ask God’s blessings upon our meals before eating. In worship, we remember Christ’s words of institution as we partake of the loaf and cup of Holy Communion. A people of faith are also mindful of others’ needs and share their resources so that all might be full.

In the Lord’s Prayer, we ask that God would grant us our daily bread. This is not only a prayer for life’s physical sustenance but also a petition that our Lord will fulfill our every need. Jesus knew that we do not live by bread alone but by the living Word of God. The best comfort food satisfies both the body and the soul.

Those who feast on God’s Word find a comfort that this world cannot give. Nothing else will ultimately satisfy our hunger within.

Ten years ago I visited my very first Brazilian Steak House. I’m not claiming that it was heaven on earth, but you could see the Pearly Gates from there! The food was wonderful, but the service was even more impressive. Teams of wait staff catered to our every need: water glasses filled, clean plates provided, side dishes replenished.

They even provided each guest with a two sided card. The red side meant you did not need anything. The green side indicated you wanted more food. Whenever I flipped the card from red to green, waiters rushed to the table.

I thought this was a great idea. So . . .  I took one of the cards home  and demonstrated its use to Tracy. Yeah, it didn’t work. After a brief discussion about my mental health, the card disappeared, never to be seen again.

Businesses recognize that hospitality is good business. Organizations invest large sums of time and money in Hospitality Training so that their employees make customers feel special. The result is a loyal clientele with repeat business.

Hospitality is also a vital aspect of the church’s life together. We love others because we have first been loved by God. Believers are challenged to welcome others as Christ has welcomed us. We are invited to a lifestyle of radical hospitality with a Whatever It Takes mentality to make others feel at home within the body of Christ.

The actual practice of Christian hospitality occurs in the ordinary, humdrum, daily business of life. Simple acts of graciousness and kindness can make an eternal difference in others’ lives.

In Hebrews 13:1-2, the author encourages the church:

Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.

I’m not suggesting the person sitting next to you at church is an angel, but then again, who knows? Maybe there really are times that we entertain angels unaware.

Other times we have the opportunity to be angels ourselves.

Theodor Geisel—better known as Dr. Seuss—published You’re Only Old Once! in honor of his 82^nd birthday on March 2, 1986. It was one of the last books he wrote before his death in 1991.

The subtitle of the book reads: A Book for Obsolete Children. It is a poignant yet humorous examination of aging. The book’s dust jacket asks:

Is this a children’s book? Well . . . not immediately.

You buy a copy for your child now and give it to him on his 70^th birthday!

Children of ALL ages will enjoy the book. It provokes both laughter and tears. While turning the pages, Dr. Seuss teaches us some important lessons about growing older.

I will let you define when “old” occurs. Like those warnings on car mirrors, however, it’s closer than it appears! One person told me, “I knew I was going to get old—I just didn’t realize it happened so young!” Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened!

I’m not sure who first said it, but growing older is NOT for sissies! However, we believe that our Lord is with us in every age and stage of life. Too often we look forward to the future or reminisce about the past rather than living for God in the present. The only time we can serve God is TODAY.

The Bible also challenges older adults to continue a life of fidelity and service. There is no earthly retirement plan for Christians. But the benefits are out of this world!

Psalm 92 declares:

They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming,

‘The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is not wickedness in him.’

I like another version of this Psalm that says the mature person of God is ever full of sap and green! An older man or woman of God is green and sappy—not a bad combination!

We are called to serve God in every age and stage of life. We honor those who are older than us for their wisdom and example. As pioneers of faith, they blaze the path into a future. In turn, we are pioneers for others.

You’re only old once—make the most of it while you can.

Our January worship series at Northside United Methodist Church is entitled All In! We are exploring what it means to love God with ALL of our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:28-31).

Consider these questions: What would our lives, families, church, and community look like if we went All In for God? What changes would we have to make in our lives? What would we need to start doing? What would we need to stop doing?

John Wesley believed that God raised up the people called Methodists to spread scriptural holiness throughout the land. He emphasized the call to Christian perfection in each disciple’s life.

To this day, United Methodist clergy are asked the following questions at ordination:

• Have you faith in Christ?

• Are you going on to perfection?

• Do you expect to be made perfect in love in this life?

• Are you earnestly striving after it?

• Are you resolved to devote yourself wholly to God and his work?

After thirty-five years of ministry, I must confess my commitment to these standards varies on a regular basis. On my best days, I come close to approximating an affirmative response to Wesley’s questions. On my worst days, I fail abysmally.

I appreciate the apostle John’s words which reflect both the goal and reality of Christian discipleship. He begins by writing: My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. Then the prophet turns pastor as he continues: But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ the Righteous One (1 John 2:1-2).

The goal is to become perfect in loving God and others. The reality is our daily lives. However, the latter never excuses us from pursuing the former with our entire being.

After asking if ordinands were going on to perfection, Bishop William Cannon would pause and add: If you’re not moving towards perfection, then which direction are you headed?

The Holy Spirit woos, calls, nags, and challenges us to go ALL IN for God.

Our January worship series at Northside United Methodist Church is entitled All In! We are exploring what it means to love God with ALL of our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:28-31).

I invite you to consider these questions: What would our lives, families, church, and community look like if we went All In for God? What changes would we have to make in our lives? What would we need to start doing? What would we need to stop doing?

One of the books I read in preparation for the series is entitled All In by Mark Batterson. Mark is the founding pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D. C. The multi-campus congregation reaches tens of thousands weekly at our nation’s capital.

Here are some quotes from All In that have continued to challenge me as a Christian and pastor:

• When did we start believing that God wants to send us to safe places to do easy things?

• Jesus didn’t die to keep us safe. He died to make us dangerous.

• Faithfulness is not holding the fort. It’s storming the gates of hell.

• The complete surrender of your life to the cause of Christ isn’t radical. It’s normal.

• It’s time to quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death.

• It’s time to go all in and all out for the All in All!

In the coming weeks, we will explore what it means to go All In as we Know, Grow, and Go as God’s people. Join us at Northside each Sunday for Traditional Worship at 8:30 and 11:00 in the Sanctuary along with Contemporary Worship at 9:45 in the Faith and Arts Center.

Let’s go All In for Jesus Christ!