We Will Feast: Rethinking Dinner, Worship, and the Community of God

by Kendall Vanderslice, D.L. Mayfield (Foreword)

Explores the practice of eating together as Christian worship

The gospel story is filled with meals. It opens in a garden and ends in a feast. Records of the early church suggest that believers met for worship primarily through eating meals. Over time, though, churches have lost focus on the centrality of food— and with it a powerful tool for unifying Christ’s diverse body.

But today a new movement is under way, bringing Christians of every denomination, age, race, and sexual orientation together around dinner tables. Men and women nervous about stepping through church doors are finding God in new ways as they eat together. Kendall Vanderslice shares stories of churches worshiping around the table, introducing readers to the rising contem­porary dinner-church movement. We Will Feast provides vision and inspiration to readers longing to experience community in a real, physical way.

Genres: Nonfiction, Food, Faith, Theology, Religion, Christian, Spirituality

189 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 21, 2019

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the ideas presented in this book. The problem I have with it is that it would have been better as a short series of blog posts than a book. It is a bit repetitive.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book, the author spends each chapter discussing a different dinner church model. That was interesting but I found myself wishing the book had taken a different direction after the chapters began to seem monotonous.

I guess I wish this book had more references to feasting in Scripture. I found the author’s take on Adam and Eve to be really intriguing and her brief discussion of Pentecost and Babel to be equally fascinating. I would have liked more of that alongside her dinner church experiences.

I also wish this book included more minority churches instead of a brief acknowledgement of the oversight in the last few pages.

Overall, it is a nicely written book. I enjoyed it and got some new thoughts out of it.

[writer... · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely, clear narration by Sheri Beth Dusek of the audio copy I enjoyed today. As with written copy , the text explores current fresh expressions of church gathering over meals, representative of the eucharist. Well informed historic and contemporary examples, understanding of hospitality and inclusivity.

Recommended for any research of alternative worship and interest in contemporary church.

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating and very well-written. An encouragement to church life around the table.

[Kaitlin Ruiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

With clarity and conviction, Kendall Vanderslice invites us to consider how breaking bread can be a way of building community. As she explores the forms that dinner church takes in different faith communities—from the Swedenborgian roots of Garden Church to the neighbor-serving liturgy of Southside Abbey—Vanderslice also tracks her own experiences in the church. And in her story, I saw glimpses of my own history with the faith. From my Catholic upbringing and evangelical adolescence, to my seat in the second-to-last row of the epistle side in an Anglican parish, I’ve always accepted samples of bread and sips of grape juice. Yet, as Vanderslice shows, communion isn’t just a Christian habit. Making and sharing food is a way of knowing and delighting in Christ’s goodness—and a way of nourishing those God loves. It may take different forms among different churches. Yet, throughout, Vanderslice honors that variance in Christian tradition as coming from Him who is the fullness of all in all, Christ in whom all things hold together.

[Josie Blakeney · Rating 5 out of 5]

We Will Feast was an eye-opening and encouraging book, I wanted to both pull out a table and also re-examine the ways we approach the table of God with others. Vanderslice's research on Dinner Churches across America was fascinating and it was incredible to see how different each one was based on culture and location, but yet how they were also all so similar in their desire to simply eat together in community. God with us.

Vanderslice says, "In dining together, these congregations embody the very purpose and worth of the church. When Jesus commanded followers to eat together in remembrance of him, he meant it. He knew that eating together would re-member and heal the divisions of the broken body made one in Christ."

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! I've been intrigued by the idea of Dinner Church for a while and was excited to find and read this book.
The last paragraph of the Forward says it well: "This book ostensibly chronicles the various forms of dinner churches that are on the rise in America. But truly it is a book about the wider work of the Holy Spirit and a church that is creatively finding small ways of renewal in some of the most unlikely spaces. No matter what your relationship to or definition of church might be, there is a space in this book to catch a glimpse of the joy, abundance, and holy imagination of what it means to feast together in this world that we call the House of the Lord. It will surprise you, just like the very best meals always do."

[Joy Matteson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book just ticked off so many boxes for me. How to incorporate bodily nourishment with the spiritual nourishment in a community of a local church--YES PLEASE! Kendal Vanderslice visited several so called "dinner churches", where meals are an active participant in a church service. (Yes, "Potluck Church" is one of those names.) If you grew up enjoying a "fellowship meal" like I did, you might have fond memories of standing in line, groaning tables of food, the feeling of looking around, knowing there is plenty for all the hungry. Isn't this what Jesus wants us to do? Scarcity and a hollowness in our theology seem to go together. Expansiveness and groaning tables--feasting--is what Kendall highlights here. I'd love to have more conversations about how to make this happen in more local churches. I think one might see more ex-church attendees find community again.

[C. Christopher Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books that I’ve read this year! Largely comprised of stories, WE WILL FEAST is a quick read, but it stirs our imaginations with the possibility of new ways of being church that are centered around the table. Although primarily narrative, Vansderslice’s work is richly theological. This book is particularly timely, as traditional forms of Christian worship are rapidly dying off, and Vanderslice’s case for dinner churches speaks to the deep desire in Western culture for intimacy and belonging.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each chapter shares the format and purpose of a dinner church organized in a particular community.
It is very helpful. I like how Kendall weaves in her background, and her reflections on her journey of faith.

[Anita Yoder · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of the book is good. The chapters reported her experiences with church and meals, but they felt repetitive with a lot of overlap.
I liked the themes she brought out but felt the telling of them could have been condensed considerably.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that I think will always influence my thoughts on communal faith and ministry.

[Adam Terrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeah, ok go ahead and wax poetic about eating and theology and community. I’ll allow it.

[Faith Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book that provided a ton of examples of how churches are reimagining Sunday services around food and the table.

[Christina Moss · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a lovely exploration of dinner church, as practiced in a number of different denominations and cities in the US. It definitely got me thinking about how even churches that aren't dinner churches per se can come to treat shared meals as part of not just community building, but even worship.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

“How do we bond despite our differences? We do so when we grasp and share the most basic need of all humanity: the need to eat and drink,” Kendall Vanderslice writes in her book that released last week (p. 157). We Will Feast: Rethinking Dinner, Worship, and the Community of God summarizes itself in the title. It’s about food, gathering as followers of God, and how a bit of creativity can reorient us toward one another. The book is organized around Vanderslice’s experiences at several different dinner churches around the United States—from New York City to California, Michigan to Texas, among others—that she visited over the course of one year. Far from simply a summary of those experiences, she draws us into meals together around tables, in gardens, pubs, or within potlucks, allowing us to imagine a different kind of life together.

She weaves her expertise as a baker into each tale, expanding on communion, feasting, and the theology that connects us to one another as we eat with one another. She writes that “worship around the table is a communal search for every glimmer of goodness in an aching world” (p. 167). This book offers that glimmer of goodness, granting a glimpse into other peoples’ windows of experience that may differ from our own.

If you’re looking for a hopeful book about church, this book for you. If you’re looking for a book that breaks open the boxes we squeeze God, the church, and worship into, this book is for you. And if you need refreshment, encouragement, or affirmation that community can still be found within the church, then this book is definitely for you. This book will make you hungry for steaming bread and savory soup, but especially for deep relationships and intentional community. It will remind you that when we gather, we experience just a bit more of God’s presence in our midst.

[Annie Lilley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I found out about this book I had no idea that people had given so much thought to food and theology! I have had some thoughts throughout the years, but reading this book touched on those things and examined them in so much more detail.
Especially the first few chapters opened my eyes to how important food is in the Bible and for our faith.

Dinner church, in how I seem to interpret it, seems to be less a denomination and more of a tool that churches can use. The author talks about a number of different dinner churches as well as different ways to do church. Because of that there were points of theology that I disagreed on. However, as a book of tools that can be used I really enjoyed it.
The author even states in her epilogue that the dinner church is not the only way to do church, but something that exists among other ways of worship for God.

While I do not intend to leave the church I go to for a dinner church, I do intend to use some of the things I learned in this book about food and feasting as an act of worship and community to serve my home church better.

[Lee Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read about this book in the magazine Living Lutheran. A little repetitious, Kendall Vanderslice lays out the Biblical justification for dinner church, then gives a wide variety of examples of hos this is practiced, from worshippers making the entire meal together, to potlucks, to purchased restaurant meals. It's exciting to think about how my church might adopt this practice.

I like this description of dinner church and how it can nurture the unchurched and those hurt by the church from Vanderslice's penultimate chapter: A dinner-church service draws people together through a form of bodily knowledge that is more accessible than the rituals of different church traditions – it draws people together through the knowledge of how to sit at a table and eat. It relies not on memory of the right chants to murmur but on a belly hungry for food and a heart hungry for community. It beckons all who thirst for companionship, for a space to ask questions, for healing from the pain of lonelinees or rejection.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was and wasn’t what I thought it would be. I thought there would be more theological takeaways and biblical exposition (there was some of that, and it was thought provoking) but more than that it was a geographic exploration of alternative forms of Christian churches in North America (I think Canada is included but it may just be USA)—specifically dinner churches and churches that otherwise center around food and community—that have exploded in the last few years.

This was a fun and accidental pairing with Margaret Feinberg’s book Taste and See.

Why is meal sharing important?
Full meal together = communion = worship;
God is present in the most ordinary & mundane aspects of living;
God is worshipped through the most basic of human functions; and
the community and the food that sustains us grants us just a glimmer of the Kingdom of God on earth today.
And eating with others embodies the Gospel, the author says, because it’s an expression of physical care for others.
I especially loved this: Jesus did not separate the practice of feeding the hungry and feasting with friends. He enjoyed communion with them all.

I don’t think my church is going to make a mad dash toward food centricity (as an embodiment of the Gospel—what the author supports—or even an evangelistic tool—how community meals are often used) but this book has got me thinking.

[Sarah Bergren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book caused me to reexamine my beliefs about worship and feasting (and the connection between the two). The first few chapters of this book have some beautiful thoughts on the intersection of food, spirituality, and community; the final chapter and epilogue provide thought-provoking reflections about the same issues. I enjoyed the writing and compassionate spirit of the author.

I appreciate the concerns that are raised, and think they're worthy of deeper consideration. Because I come from the conservative end of the evangelical Protestant spectrum, I differ greatly on several significant points of theology/doctrine that are presented in the dinner-church examples and even some of the early premise. This keeps me from rating the book more highly, but is not a reflection on the quality of writing or intent for opening a dialogue about the topics brought up in this book.

Disclaimer: I received an advance copy of the book. My opinions are my own.

[Rachel Hafler · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a baker myself, and someone who is increasingly fascinated with food and its connections to spirituality, I absolutely LOVED this book. Kendall writes in a simple, but honest way about how food and sharing meals connects us to and teaches us about God. I loved learning about different "dinner churches" around the country where the worship service is centered around a meal. Kendall's observations and insights about these different communities are so spot on and well-written. I especially love how she points out that not all churches are meant to function in this way, but that all Christians can certainly be more mindful of the power of food and reflect on what Jesus really meant when instructing His followers to eat and drink in remembrance of Him. I would love to visit some of these dinner churches! And I only wish that this book was a bit longer :)

[Suzan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Food and theology YES! This book has put into words what I have felt for years. Kendall Vanderslice has done a beautiful job of talking about how through the act of sharing a meal you are also feeding the soul with the act of community. So many have had issues with the "church". Many feel unwelcome or removed from the church community. But that doesn't mean they don't still have a faith or a love for Jesus. This dinner church is a chance to come together no matter your faith, no matter your social standing, no matter your ethnicity. I also loved how Kendall shows how food is used throughout the Bible by God. Sheri Beth Dusek is the narrator for this book and she is wonderful too. Sheri has a voice that is so easy to listen too. I loved every moment of this book.
I was gifted this audiobook with the understanding that I would leave an honest review.

[Madeline Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any Christian or anyone curious about Jesus will benefit from this thoughtful, hopeful book— whether you’re a churchgoer who loves a good potluck, a skeptic who has felt neglected by church, or a thinker who wants to see the connections between food and worship. We Will Feast presents and vision of eating in the church that is radically traditional- it is new and fresh but also deeply rooted in church practices going back to the apostles. Vanderslice’s writing is accessible to the casual reader and full of insights for those seeking theological reflection. This message has further solidified the meaning of taking communion for me, and it has helped me see how small group meetings especially can be places of deeper community when we take time to eat together. Love love love this book :)

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who loves gathering people around my table and feeding them, providing a place of welcome and hospitality, I loved this book. What a powerful thing to gather around food and community to eat and drink in remembrance of our Lord Jesus. There is so much that we are divided on, even in church, leaving many hungry and wanting when they don’t feel welcome at the table in church. We all have the need to be fed, both physically and through community. As the author reminds us, the answer is not for all communities to become a “dinner church” but for all of us to evaluate the welcome and nourishment that is given and received. It is a powerful thing to gather around the table where, if only for a moment, we can unify around our common needs and leave division behind.

[Anne Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book more. But it feels like the book you write after school to pay the student loans. It feels not academic in terms of content but in terms of style and removedness from the material. This feels like a newspaper article. I like the tone of the forward actually much better. She closes the book quoting Sara Miles and I thought that was the quality I’d find here, the intensity of Take This Bread, a book I carry internally with me years after reading. Give us yearning, some hunger. But she’s already had dessert and is just giving the meal recap it feels. Her next book will be better because she’ll be immersed in real life again and she’ll have all the stories from the book tour. If she’d waited a few years this could have been one to savor.

[Bonnie Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book presented some really compelling ideas about the opportunity to foster gospel community through the sacred act of eating together. Each chapter is a spotlight on a different religious community that uses the idea of "dinner church" to reach people often overlooked in traditional, liturgical church models. I think the author does an admiral job recognizing the power that unconventional churches can have, while also honoring the place traditional churches have in society. The author herself recognizes that most readers will resonate with some of the models presented in the book, while finding others troubling; this was true for me and I found it took away from some of the credibility of the book as a source (hence the three stars).

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kendall's beautiful book, We Will Feast, is packed full of heartwarming stories and challenging realities surrounding the food and faith movement. Who has access to food, and who doesn't? What are the essential ingredients to meaningful community? How do we combat loneliness in large city centers and small town squares? Kendall's profound examination of these questions and many more provides readers with a wider, more hopeful picture of the present and future of the Church in the US. We Will Feast is a fantastic resource for pastors, congregations, students, and families alike, and I'm so thankful for this book and the sacred stories it carries.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Food is central to God’s work in the world.” So says “We Will Feast” author Kendall Vanderslice.

There are people for whom the idea of entering a “churchy” church is a dealbreaker. But the idea of gathering around a table and sharing a meal is a much easier way to encounter God. Vanderslice shares her experience in traveling to several of these dinner churches around the country. Whether it be a potluck, a restaurant, or a gathering over pizza, We Will Feast explores the common themes of community, shared meals and what it’s like to worship around the table.

Reading about so many communities who are following Jesus’ command to eat and drink in remembrance of Him, it felt like I could’ve stepped into any of these meals and felt welcome. Vanderslice’s book is both encouraging and convicting and helped me expand my thoughts on what’s possible when it comes to Jesus’ command to Feed His sheep.

We Will Feast whets the appetite for expanding our concept of church, hospitality, worship and how wide and open the table really is at the feast to which we are called.

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars - I loved this little book. There are so many ways to worship God, all beautiful, worthy, and filled with presence. Invite neighbors to your table. Recognize the power of the community found through joy at the dinner table. This is a short and sweet read - I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Favorite passage:

"We ground ourselves in the narrative of a God who created out of overflowing love, who aches over the brokenness of the world, and who is at work healing and restoring the beloved creation called good...e eat together in remembrance of Jesus because it is at the table that we participate in the narrative God has been writing throughout all of history."

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good overview of some of the different things taking place in the dinner church movement as well as some theological reflections on food and faith. I’d recommend it as an introduction to these ideas. I have read many of the books she references including:

The Supper of the Lamb by Robert Farrar Capon
Soil and Sacrament by Fred Bahnson
Take This Bread by Sara Miles
Food and Faith by Norman Wirzba

As well as two books by church leaders featured in this book:
For All Who Hunger by Emily Scott
This is God’s Table by Anna Woofenden

If these books are of interest to you, you will probably also enjoy We Will Feast. If you have read them, you probably don’t need this book.