The First Course

You may already know, I was born into and raised in an Irish family. We were a meat and potatoes crew. At the risk of offending some, Irish and cuisine are not words that often go together. Sure, corned beef and cabbage is a March 17 treat. But most families take another 364 days to consider it again. The last time I checked, Janet Reeves’ The Potato Cookbook came in at “Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,046,845”.

I was born into an Irish family, but I married into an Italian family and I also lived in Italy for four and a half years. It’s hard to talk long about Italians without talking about food. In fact, in Italy food is a treasure. Dining is an art, a social activity and a national pastime that’s only rivaled by their passion for soccer.

There are a lot of great aspects of Italian cuisine, but my absolute favorite is what’s known as the primo piatto (the first course). You see, later comes the meat and veggies, but the first plate always has the carbs. (All right so now you know I am a confirmed carboholic.) Without the main course, I’d probably be hungry again in a couple of hours. But, without the first course, I feel like something’s missing. I leave the dinner table unsatisfied.

Sunday morning at church can be a lot like those dinners. Many people limit their meal to what’s offered during the worship service only and then leave feeling like something was missing. During the worship service, we are treated to music, meditations and a sermon designed to give us the sustenance we need for the week ahead. During the Sunday School hour, we are able to dig a little deeper into the Bible passage or topical study at hand. We are also able to interact with the text and with each other. It’s a time to grow in our faith, pray for each other and even grow together.

At Trinity Baptist Church in Nashua, NH, we are committed to offering Adult Bible Fellowships before the Sunday worship services for all the reasons above. We’ll save a seat for you. Come hungry!

If you are not in the area or attend another church that does not offer anything else Sunday Mornings, you may want to have have an extra special quiet time with God before you go to church. More to follow on a future post.