We Will Feast in the House of Zion

By Sandra McCracken

We will feast in the house of Zion. We will sing with our hearts restored. “He has done great things,” we will say together. We will feast and weep no more!

For many, the upcoming holiday season is not going to be a normal one. Large, indoor gatherings are a “no-no,” and many may be spending Thanksgiving and Christmas by themselves, or only with a select few loved ones. I’m going to miss seeing and getting together with my friends and family this year for Thanksgiving.

There’s something about sharing a meal together that makes food taste better and eating more enjoyable. Feasting together, with other people, is in our blood as humans. In the New Testament, there were various kinds of feasts in which God commanded his people to take part. Jesus had dinner with his disciples and with society’s outcasts. Passover is still celebrated and recognized to this day, and as Christians we remember the Lord’s Supper every time we participate in communion. Jesus even performed his first public miracle at a wedding banquet.

I fell in love with the song “We Will Feast in the House of Zion” a little before CPC started doing the outdoor worship services in September. As I was preparing for the first service, I was thinking about how much I miss our church gatherings and moments of fellowship.

I miss corporate worship and the partaking of communion. I miss VBS, the Strawberry Festival, and our potluck lunches. We have so many great chefs at CPC! Our potlucks never disappoint, and there is always plenty of food to go ‘round. When I heard “We Will Feast…” it reminded me that one day we will all be able to gather again to celebrate, sing, and feast with one another. I don’t just mean after this pandemic is over, but also as we depart from this life and to enjoy the riches of Heaven with the Body of Christ.

In one of his parables, Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a king who is throwing a wedding banquet for his son (Matthew 22:2). Also, Isaiah says, “On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine – the best of meats and the finest of wines” (Isaiah 25:6).

Right now, we can look forward to a time when we can open our doors once again to friends and family and invite people into our homes without everyone having to wear masks and be socially distanced. But what is even more exciting to look forward to is that one day we will be able to do this with an even bigger family. One day we will feast with the Body of Christ in that, “big, big house with lots and lots of room,” at that, “big, big table with lots and lots of food” (referencing to Big House, by Audio Adrenaline).

In Heaven, we won’t have to plan any Thanksgiving meals. There won’t be any arguing at the dinner table. We will just be enjoying communing with one another in the presence of God. Most importantly, we will be in a place where there is no pain and suffering, no death, and no crying.

For now, God will give us the strength we need to make it through this life until that time comes.

All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him – those who cannot keep themselves alive.

Psalm 22:29

You can listen to “We Will Feast in the House of Zion”