Breakfast on Beech Street

This morning, I joined 15 volunteers to serve breakfast to 40 people from the Abilene community. Waking up at 5:00 am was definitely a struggle, but three hours later, I know that it was worth it. I might need some coffee to make it through the day, though.

Breakfast of Beech Street (BOBS) is a ministry of 5 churches here in town that serves approximately 12,000 breakfasts each year. For five days a week, volunteers from these churches and the community prepare breakfast and sack lunches for anyone who is hungry and needs some food. I first assumed that this ministry was just for homeless people, but the majority of people that got breakfast this morning were not homeless. They were just hungry and were not able to make breakfast for themselves at home. There are not any applications to fill out to make sure that each person actually needs food. There are no strict guidelines saying that only certain people can eat or that each person only gets one omelet. We make breakfast, people come, and they eat until it is gone (today we had some leftovers, though).

I do find it fascinating that BOBS serves out 12,000 breakfasts each year to people here in Abilene, but I am especially pleased that this is done through the work of 5 churches...of different denominations...working together...for a greater purpose. Episcopal. Methodist. Disciples of Christ. Church of Christ. Presbyterian. For centuries Christians from different denominations have argued about whose doctrine is correct, and we have strayed from the massage of the Gospel.

Mark 10:45 says, "For even the Son of Man [Jesus] did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." This verse points out two important truths of the Gospel. First, the part about the ransom refers to our salvation that comes through Christ's death and resurrection (See Easter post below). Second, Christ came to serve others, not to be served. The Gospel of Christ is not about doctrine and denominations. It is about serving those in our communities. Churches do a great job of spiritually edifying believers on Saturdays, Sundays, and Wednesdays, but people often forget that the role of the church is also to equip believers to go out and serve others and meet their needs - not our needs.

BOBS ministry is to spread the Gospel by feeding people, saying "Good morning," sharing conversations, and shaking hands. Yes, there was a prayer for the food at the beginning, and the meal was served in the kitchen of a church, but that was the only "churchy" thing about it. I worked in the kitchen and loaded plates with toast and omelets. I greeted people as they passed through the line, but I didn't say anything about becoming a Christian. I didn't hand out a tract of the five steps of conversion. I didn't share a testimonial of my faith. I just gave food to people that needed it. Jesus fed people, too. Lot's of them. Read this to learn more.