This Is a Sad Story ...

[Guest]

People crave a sense of belonging, and tend to stay where they experience belongingness. I'm not a young person so cannot say why young people are now leaving the church, but it used to be that people left when they didn't experience a sense of belonging. It wasn't just the young. It was new converts as well. They left out of loneliness. When people stay with the church it is because they have strongly connected. It isn't just about the devotion and rules for those who connect; it is the celebration of all the cool unique things that come with being Adventist. It is shared recipes from people who could cook delicious vegetarian food before the rest of the world thought vegetarianism was cool, it's the smell of home made bread and special Adventist hospitality...

In fact, food might even be a key to keeping members. I've worked at a synagogue for years, and the Jews know that if you want people to participate, you have to offer food. Even after religious services there must be something to gnosh on or people won't come. Now I realize that Christians think that people should attend services for the blessing alone, but Jews know better -- if left to blessings alone, there will be no more synagogue before long. And Jewish cooking isn't all that good, in my opinion. I don't know why this is, since both Adventists and Jews observe many of the same food laws, but if I had the choice between eating with an Adventist and eating with a Jew, I'd choose eating with an Adventist because Adventists are better cooks. But back to my point. Jewish belongingness has a lot to do with food, and they shamelessly use food to encourage participation and to keep their members. And it works. It has worked for thousands of years.

Well, I didn't expect this post to go quite in the direction that it went. Food was not on my mind when I started it. I was thinking more in line of developing the idea of belongingness. But you wanted a concrete idea instead of endless introspection, and as frivolous as it may sound, food could be something to consider if you agree that belongingness is the key for why people stay and why people leave.

I like this post, thanks for posting it. And I agree that food is a big part of adventism.

[phkrause]

And Jewish cooking isn't all that good, in my opinion.

Than you haven't been to any of my families meals. Most if not all Jewish women are great cooks and make great tasting food.

[phkrause]

if I had the choice between eating with an Adventist and eating with a Jew, I'd choose eating with an Adventist because Adventists are better cooks.

Again I will have to disagree, and that's not saying that adventists can't cook, because they can. Most adventists are vegetarian cooks, where Jewish cooks most definitely are not. So I think it comes down to if you are a meat eater or not, this makes a big difference.

[Tom Wetmore]

Originally Posted By: D.A. Wintsmith

And Jewish cooking isn't all that good, in my opinion.

Than you haven't been to any of my families meals. Most if not all Jewish women are great cooks and make great tasting food.

And the best deli food is to be found in a Jewish deli.

[phkrause]

And the best deli food is to be found in a Jewish deli.

you got that right. That actually deserves 2 up