5 Ways to Bring Back Family Meals

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Have you ever considered that returning to the art of gathering around a table for family meals could revolutionize your relationships? Maybe there has been some tension in your household? Maybe everyone has just been too busy to come together and reconnect? Or maybe you are desperate to know the neighbors that exist right outside your front door? We were created to live in community but in today’s world it is easy to become a party of one, living out our own story. What if the most impactful thing you can do to change this is also the most practical? Brining back meals around the table.

Jesus modeled this for us with his life here on earth. He was constantly found seated at tables with everyday people. It is at the table where sinners were forgiven, the weary were given strength, the shamed received dignity and the lost were found. It is at the table where Jesus told his disciples that he was to become a sacrifice for the sins of every human being. If Jesus, the Savior of the world, consistently made time for meals at a table, maybe we should too? Maybe there is more power in an invitation to the table than we have fathomed?

Here are five simple, yet powerful, ways we can begin our journey in bringing back family meals around the table.

Change it Up

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Who said that mealtime has to happen in the dining room over pot roast at 5:00pm? Get creative with how you bring people to the table – there are no rules! Maybe do a picnic in your backyard. Or sit on pillows in the spare room. Change the scenery completely by enjoying the meal at a table in the park. Figure out what works best for you and your family. Maybe you are in a season where bringing everyone together for dinner is too difficult (soccer practice, exams, projects…), then bring everyone together for dessert or after dinner coffee. Figure out what works best for your family. Do not be constrained by tradition.

Want to try a different kind of meal? Try this baked fontina with veggies to change things up!

Orange Roughy with Pecan Sauce

Enjoy this light summer dish! Read next feature >