Nehemiah 8:9-12

Today is a feast day—a celebration of new life that will include special foods.  What foods are associated with Easter in your household?  How can you make sure this is a day of celebration for those who have nothing prepared?

Over the past six weeks, how has your relationship to food changed?  Your relationship to people who are hungry?  What have your learned about hunger during Lent?  Are there any action steps that you want to take toward hunger as a result of participating in this year’s Lenten Compact?

John 21:15-17

It is interesting that this story is told in the context of a meal—a meal of bread and fish no less, the same food Jesus used to feed the multitudes.  Does the context change your understanding of Jesus’ command that Peter “feed my sheep”?  If so, how?  Do you think Jesus expected Peter to feed people physically or is his command a metaphor for something else?  Do you think feeding people is how we can best show that we love Jesus?  Why or why not?

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday–a day that people usually celebrate with food.  Consider making extra and sharing it with an individual or family who may not have food to celebrate.  Or consider inviting someone to your home for Easter dinner.  By your act of sharing, be a witness of the feast that is the Kingdom of Heaven.

1 John 3:16-18; James 2:14-16

On this Good Friday, we remember that Jesus laid down his life for us.  We are called to do the same thing for one another.  How do John and James envision living out that call?  We are coming to the close of Lent.  On a scale from 1 to 10, how well have you put your love and faith into action during this Lenten season?  How do you think a hungry person would rate you?

Luke 24:13-35

How have you “recognized” Jesus more fully in the breaking of bread?  How have you experienced the presence of Jesus during communion?  How have you experienced the presence of Jesus at other meals?  Have you experienced “holy heartburn”?  If so, when?

John 6:48-60

Obviously, Jesus is not advocating that his disciples become cannibals or to dine on “leg of Lamb of God”. In the celebration of the Eucharist, we refer to the bread as Jesus’ body and the wine as his blood, but is participation in the Lord’s Supper the only way to “feed on Jesus”?  How else might we “eat his flesh and drink his blood”?  What does Jesus say are the results of “eating” him?  How is the quality of your life different since you’ve “tasted” Christ?  Why do you think this is such a “hard saying?”

Mark 14:12-26

Today marks the beginning of Passover, the Jewish celebration of deliverance from slavery in Egypt.  What we call “the Lord’s Supper” is actually a Passover Seder where specific foods were served to remind the Jews of their life in bondage, the cost of freedom and the sweetness of the redeemed life.  Four cups of wine were drunk—including wine that symbolized the plagues, wine that symbolized the blood of the Lamb painted on the doorposts and wine that symbolized the abundance in the land to which God would lead them.  Unleavened bread—matzo—was also eaten several times as a reminder of the quick departure from Egypt—God’s deliverance.  All the foods were to help people enter and relive the story of deliverance.  At various points in the Seder, Jesus takes the familiar menu items and enriches their meaning.  “This is my body.  This is my blood.”

How have you experienced deliverance through the life and death of Jesus? What are some other foods that you associate with the story of your faith journey?  How could you make the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper more than just a church ritual?

John 6:25-35

Can you think of a time that you followed Jesus because you thought you would get material things you needed/wanted?  Describe what you think Jesus is referring to as “the food that endures to eternal life.”  What do you think is the relationship between physical needs and spiritual needs?  What hunger do you have in your life beyond the physical that Jesus can fill?

Leviticus 25:1-7, 18-19; Leviticus 26:15-16, 33-35

Leviticus repeats God’s public policy about not planting the fields every seven years.  The emphasis in Leviticus is about letting the land rest.  Why do you think “rest” is required?  What happens when “rest” is not observed?  What does God’s action in Leviticus 26:33-35 tell us about God’s concern for creation?  Why do you think people did not observe the command to “rest” the land?

All of our food relies upon a healthy ecosystem—soil rich in nutrients and water (usually in the form of rain).  Crop rotation and land rest ensures that the soil remains healthy.  This seems very foreign to us where land is dedicated to single crops (mostly corn and soybeans) year after year, and production is “forced” through the never-ending application of chemical fertilizers–chemicals that end up in our food, seep into our groundwater and ultimately destroy the soil.  Why do you think we have abandoned the practices prescribed by God?  What could you do to observe the Sabbath year?

On Saturday, March 23, people around the world will observe “Earth Hour”.  From 8:30 pm – 9:30 pm, lights will be turned off to reduce carbon emissions and highlight the need to protect the earth and our natural resources for future generations.  An hour is a great start.  What is one thing you could do to maintain a healthy planet beyond “one hour”?

Judges 6:1-14

What tactics do the Midianites’ use to oppress the Israelites?  Why do you think so many of their tactics involved destruction of food crops? How do the Israelites attempt to survive in the midst of their oppression?  What is God’s role in this crisis?  What does God ultimately want for his people?  God called Gideon to act on behalf of the oppressed.  Have you ever felt inadequate in the face of food insecurity caused by oppression?  Who might the Midianites be in our day?  What do you think God would want you to do?

Acts 12:19b-24

King Herod has had an undefined conflict with the people of Tyre and Sidon.  What motivates the people to seek a peace agreement with Herod?  Describe the power dynamic at work in this situation?  How does food play a role?  Who has leverage in the conflict?  Do you think God takes sides in this conflict?  Explain.

Currently, many countries (both developed and developing) import grain from the US.  In fact, over 20% of our grain crops are exported.  How do you think our food exports change the dynamics of power with importing countries?

For your thought…  The other food we export is “fast food” through corporate giants McDonalds (in 122 countries) whose most profitable franchise is in Moscow, Russia, and Yum! Brands (parent company of KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell) which opened 5 restaurants a day last year in countries outside of the US. What effect might this have on the dynamics between the US and other countries?