A Taste of Eternity: The Sunday Evening Rehearsal
- Website Profile
- Nov 25
- 9 min read
✍️ A Note from the Author
From the Desk of David Avritt CEO & Founder, CA Jail Outreach | Chaplain | USA (Ret.)
I have worn many uniforms in my life, from the camouflage of a U.S. combat veteran to the vestments of a Chaplain. In my time traveling the globe and visiting states from the Deep South to the West Coast, I have worshipped in hundreds of sanctuaries. I have seen God move in mud huts, in prison cells, and in mega-churches.
If there is one statistic I have learned, it is this: There are over 300,000 churches in America, and no two of them possess the exact same fingerprint.
I grew up in a home that stood firm on strict Bible doctrine. Was there anything wrong with that? Of course not. But as I matured in faith, I came to a realization: The pulpit is designed to nourish us, but the home is where we must make the distinctions.
It is within our own four walls, through private prayer and listening to the Holy Spirit, that we decide how to apply that nourishment. We take care of our own home; no one else can do that for us. It is a burden and a blessing reserved for the family alone.
However, if you are struggling in life or feel your foundation shaking, I recommend you head back to the instructions you were given. Listen to the pastor's counseling, the preaching, and the elders of the church to get back on track. If they say "do it this way," then do it. Get stronger in your faith and your family's faith, and always return to the Word of God.
As I often say, "When life gets complicated, the instructions in the Bible remain simple. If you are lost, go back to the last place you saw the Light."
Scripture reminds us that the home is a sovereign territory under God. At the end of the day, it is up to a husband and wife to establish the standards the Lord lays upon their own hearts.
"Choose you this day whom ye will serve... but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." , Joshua 24:15 (KJV)
I ask you to never look down on another family's way of living or how a leadership team runs a church in a different area. Is the southern way "right" and the northern way "wrong"? Should we simply duplicate success? There is no single answer. Paul taught us that flexibility in method is necessary to reach different people for the same Savior:
"I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some." , 1 Corinthians 9:22 (KJV)
"We spend too much time inspecting other people's fruit and not enough time watering our own roots." The pastor is accountable to God and to the people of that local assembly. Who are we to judge another man's servant?
"Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth." , Romans 14:4 (KJV)
Let us focus less on the differences in our methods and more on the Savior who unites us all.
📢 Coming Up: A Taste of Eternity
Before you read further...
Have you ever felt that Sunday evening is just the "sad end" to the weekend? The morning service is over, the organ has faded, and the Monday dread is creeping in. But what if I told you that the most holy moment of your week might not be the sermon you hear, but the meal you share?
In this memoir, we will challenge the status quo. We are going to ask a controversial question: Is it biblical to replace a Sunday Evening Service with a Thanksgiving Dinner?
In this post, you will discover:
🔓 The Open Window: Why Sunday night isn't a closing door, but a spiritual opportunity.
⛪ The Sanctuary of the Spoon: How eating together fulfills the New Testament command to be "holy."
💍 The Marriage Supper: Why your turkey dinner is actually a rehearsal for the end of the world.
As I often say, "It is shocking to realize that while we spend days preparing a turkey for an earthly table, God has spent eternity preparing a place for us at His."
So, pull up a chair. We saved a seat for you.
A Taste of Eternity: The Sunday Evening Rehearsal
Why sharing a Thanksgiving meal during the Sunday evening service is our best practice for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
There is a specific kind of quiet that settles over a Sunday afternoon. The morning service is over, the lunch dishes are dried, and there is a collective pause before the gears of the workweek start grinding again on Monday morning.
For years, I looked at Sunday evening as just the end of the weekend, a time to wind down. But recently, I have come to see the Sunday evening service not as a closing door, but as an open window.
We honored the Lord in the morning. We gathered, we sang, we opened the Word, and we worshipped Him in the sanctuary. But does the holiness of the day stop when the organ fades? This brings us to a compelling question: Can a church host a Thanksgiving dinner for our church folks, not on a holiday Thursday, but on a regular Sunday evening service?
The Holy Day Question
To answer that, we have to tackle the elephant in the room. Why did the Bible say, "Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD" (Leviticus 19:30)? Does that apply to us today in the New Testament?
In the Old Testament, the Sabbath was a strict boundary of rest. But as New Testament believers, we look at this through the lens of the Cross. Jesus taught us that "The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath" (Mark 2:27).
We keep the Lord's Day holy not by avoiding life, but by filling it with His presence. I believe four specific ways hosting a dinner service allows us to do just that.
The Open Window: Letting Heaven into the Dining Room
I have come to see the Sunday evening service not as a closing door, but as an open window to practice the holy art of gathering.
When we unlock the church doors for the Sunday Evening Service, we are letting fresh air into our spiritual lives. We are declaring that our faith is not just for the pew; it is for the plate. We are stepping out of the "religious duty" of the morning and into the "relational delight" of the evening.
Kingdom Culture: Serving One Another at Sunset
Can a church host a Thanksgiving dinner for our church folks? Yes, because the Kingdom of God is built on broken bread.
Scripture shows us that the early church didn't just meet in rows; they met in circles. The Apostle Paul and the disciples specifically used the evening of the first day of the week (Sunday) to gather and eat.
"And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them..." , Acts 20:7 (KJV)
They ate their meat with "gladness" (Acts 2:46). When we serve one another turkey and stuffing, we are actually building Kingdom culture, one where the leader serves, and the hungry are filled.
The Sanctuary of the Spoon: Finding God at Dinner
Moving from the pulpit to the plate: Using the Sunday evening service to build a family that lasts.
We often think God only speaks during the sermon. But I have found that the "Sanctuary of the Spoon" is just as holy. When we break bread, walls come down. We look each other in the eye. We move from being an audience to being a family.
Discipleship at Dinner: The Sunday Evening Service Classroom
How the church feast teaches us to shepherd our own families in the home, hospitality, and holiness.
The church table acts as a training ground for the family table. We practice fellowship with the Body of Christ so we can perfect it with our own flesh and blood. The goal is to move the conversation from the weather and sports to the goodness of God.
If you are like me, you sometimes struggle to make dinner-table conversation spiritual without it feeling forced. So, whether you are gathering with the church or your own family, here are "Table Talk" questions designed to help you follow the command of Deuteronomy: to talk of God's statutes "when thou sittest in thine house."
🍽️ Table Talk: A Menu for Conversation
The "Look Back" (Gratitude)
Instead of just asking "how was your year?" try digging for the diamonds.
The Unexpected Blessing: What is one good thing that happened this year that you didn't see coming?
The Hardest Climb: What was the most difficult challenge you faced this year, and how did you see God help you get through it?
The Answered Prayer: Can anyone share a specific prayer request they had in January that God has answered by November?
The "Look Within" (Spiritual Growth)
These questions help the family share what God is doing in their hearts.
The Lesson Learned: What is the biggest lesson God has taught you about patience, faith, or love this year?
The Verse of the Year: Is there a Bible verse that has meant the most to you personally this year? Why?
The "Look Around" (Appreciation)
Use this time to speak life into the people sitting right next to you.
The Affirmation: Turn to the person on your right and tell them one quality you admire in them or one reason you are thankful they are part of this family.
The Helper: Who is someone at this table that helped you this year in a way they might not even realize?
Sunday Evening Service: The Thanksgiving Prelude
When we gather for the Sunday Evening Service, we are doing more than just eating; we are rehearsing.
The Atmosphere of Grace:
For just one evening, we walk in and forget the problems that chased us all week. We leave the bills, the stress, and the heartaches at the door. In this space, our only job is to help others feel loved and cared for. It is a rare and beautiful moment to glimpse what Heaven will be like, right here on earth, surrounded by the people who genuinely care, our church family.
What We Practice:
We are here on earth to practice love. Heaven will be a place of perfect community, but we are still "rough stones" being polished. The dinner table is where we learn to serve the difficult person, listen to the quiet person, and share with the needy person. We practice here so we are ready for there.
A Glimpse of Heaven:
The Bible tells us that the culmination of all history is not a funeral, but a feast. It is called the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. This is the moment where Christ (the Lamb) is finally united with His Bride (the Church) in perfect joy. It is significant because it represents the end of hunger, the end of separation, and the beginning of eternal celebration.
Every time we pass a plate at church, we get a faint glimpse of that coming glory. The gratitude we feel around our Thanksgiving table is just a whisper of the praise we will sing at that Great Table.
Dressed for the Feast
"Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready." , Revelation 19:7 (KJV)
"It is shocking to realize that while we spend days preparing a turkey for an earthly table, God has spent eternity preparing a place for us at His." , Chaplain David
Conclusion: Permission to Feast
So, is it okay to have a Thanksgiving dinner during a Sunday evening service? The answer is a resounding yes.
To anyone worried that we are breaking a "Bible law" or violating the Sabbath, let me assure you: The law of Christ is love. Jesus healed on the Sabbath; surely His people can feed on the Sabbath. We are not breaking the law; we are fulfilling it.
In a world that is often cold and chaotic, people are starving, not just for food, but for connection. They are tired. They are lonely. People today need love, and they need a glimpse of Heaven just to keep going here in this life.
When we open the doors and set the tables, we offer them that glimpse. We offer a sanctuary where they can rest, eat, and be reminded that they are part of a family that will last forever.
The Table is Set for Eternity
"And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God." , Revelation 19:9 (KJV)
David Avritt, CEO & Founder | Chaplain | Retired Military, CA Jail Outreach, www.cajailoutreach.org.
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CEO and Founder David Avritt's Favorite Quote:
"Helping is ordinary; adding ice makes it extraordinary. There are leaders, and then there are leaders who serve, but among the best are those who always remember to add ice." - Chaplain David Avritt
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