Overview

The church's ministry of the Lord's Supper is vital, but students and pastors often think of this sacrament almost completely in terms of theological differences. Congregations hear few sermons about how God builds his people's faith, hope, and love at Lord's Table. In this brief, practical book for those who serve the Lord's Supper, Howard Griffith provides a biblical theology of the Lord's Supper and instructions on inviting participants to the Table. In the final part, twenty-eight pastoral meditations span the Old and New Testaments, showing the rich benefits of our union with Christ. Spreading the Feast will help students and pastors form their own words of explanation and exhortation as they minister at the Table, proving especially helpful to those who celebrate weekly communion.

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9781629951768

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Reviews

Are you a Christian who wonders what you should be thinking about at the Lord's Supper? Or perhaps a pastor at a loss to know how to help your people taste the riches of Christ at Communion? Then Spreading the Feast is the book for you. Professor Howard Griffith puts us all in his debt by his clear and rich exposition of the meaning of the Supper. But he does much more than that. Reclaiming the older tradition of Table Sermons he simultaneously provides both a model for pastors and soul-nourishing teaching to help us all discover the joy of union and communion with Christ. So, taste and see that the Lord is good!--Sinclair Ferguson, Chancellor's Professor, Reformed Theological Seminary; Teaching Fellow, Ligonier Ministries This book is for the minister of word and sacrament. Griffith draws from years of pastoral ministry and biblical study to build this treatment of the Lord's Supper that is eminently usable, deeply redemptive historical, and beautifully rendered. The young pastor will benefit from early exposure to Griffith's meditations on the table, and the experienced pastor will find refreshment from the expert voice of a peer. --Scott Redd, President, Associate Professor of Old Testament, Reformed Theological Seminary, Washington, DC As a pastor, I've longed to lead our people more deeply into fellowship with Christ at his Table, but have felt limited. Using the entire Scripture to set the Table, and then practical meditations for preparing the meal, Howard Griffith has provided ministers every resource for rightly serving up the rich fare of God's grace.--Glenn Hoburg, Grace Downtown church, Washington, DC Dr Howard Griffith writes both as a warm-hearted pastor and as a clear-headed professor. As someone trying to straddle these worlds, Spreading the Feast was just what I needed. A dip into these pages immediately offered new and helpful thoughts about the Lord's Supper; a dive into the book has already changed the way in which I celebrate this sacrament with God's people. If you love the written Word and visible Words of God, this book will be a treat!--Chad Van Dixhoorn, Chancellor's Professor of Historical Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary, Washington DC It's a privilege to commend this able and edifying treatment of the Lord's Supper. Its consideration of the Table's significance followed by a number of brief meditations stemming from Griffiths' own ministering there over the years is biblically and theologically sound and insightful throughout. Here indeed is a Feast for all who value their participation in the sacrament, but especially for pastors, whether beginning or experienced, looking for help in making their own ministering at the Table more meaningful and honoring to the Lord.--Richard B. Gaffin Jr., Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology, Emeritus, Westminster Theological Seminary Spreading the Feast, by Dr. Howard Griffith, is a wondrous treatment of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. Not only does Dr. Griffith provide an accurate theological and biblical foundation for understanding the sacrament, he also balances it with godly pastoral sensitivity. All church leaders and laity will benefit from this book. I now wait eagerly for Dr. Griffith's reflections on baptism.--Peter Lee, Associate Professor of Old Testament, Reformed Theological Seminary, Washington, DC When my local church asked me to preside at the Lord's Supper once a month, I worried that in time I would run out of ideas. But as it turned out, the meaning of the Lord's Supper and its applications to the Christian's life and thought, is inexhaustible. Every time I prepare an introduction to the communion service, I learn something new. I have also learned much from books by other writers about the Lord's Supper. Most recently I have profited greatly from Spreading the Feast by my colleague Howard Griffith. Howard begins with a concise Reformed theology of the sacrament, then presents a number of his own table addresses, from his long pastoral experience. Sacramental theology is complicated, and readers may disagree with some details of Howard's summary exposition. But on the whole his treatment is biblically sound, and he opens up rich themes, of which some pastors may be unaware. So the book will be very useful for pastors and students of theology. I recommend it highly.--John M. Frame, J. D. Trimble Professor of Systematic Theology and Philosophy, Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando

Professor Howard Griffith puts us all in his debt by his clear and rich exposition of the meaning of the Supper. But he does much more than that. Reclaiming the older tradition of 'table sermons,' he simultaneously provides both a model for pastors and soul-nourishing teaching to help us all to discover the joy of union and communion with Christ. -- Sinclair B. Ferguson Professor of Systematic Theology, Redeemer Seminary, Dallas

"""A dip into these pages immediately offered new and helpful thoughts about the Lord's Supper; a dive into the book has already changed the way in which I celebrate this sacrament with God's people. If you love the written Word and visible Words of God, this book will be a treat!""--Chad Van Dixhoorn, Chancellor's Professor of Historical Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary, Washington DC ""Able and edifying . . . biblically and theologically sound and insightful throughout. Here indeed is a feast for all who value their participation in the sacrament, but especially for pastors, whether beginning or experienced, looking for help in making their own ministering at the Table more meaningful and honoring to the Lord.""--Richard B. Gaffin Jr., Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology, Emeritus, Westminster Theological Seminary ""I have profited greatly from Spreading the Feast. . . . [Howard's] treatment is biblically sound, and he opens up rich themes, of which some pastors may be unaware. The book will be very useful for pastors and students of theology. I recommend it highly.""--John M. Frame, J. D. Trimble Professor of Systematic Theology and Philosophy, Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando Are you a Christian who wonders what you should be thinking about at the Lord's Supper? Or perhaps a pastor at a loss to know how to help your people taste the riches of Christ at Communion? Then Spreading the Feast is the book for you. Professor Howard Griffith puts us all in his debt by his clear and rich exposition of the meaning of the Supper. But he does much more than that. Reclaiming the older tradition of ""table sermons,"" he simultaneously provides both a model for pastors and soul-nourishing teaching to help us all to discover the joy of union and communion with Christ. So ""taste and see that the Lord is good""!--Sinclair Ferguson, Chancellor's Professor, Reformed Theological Seminary; Teaching Fellow, Ligonier Ministries This book is for the minister of Word and sacrament. Griffith draws from years of pastoral ministry and biblical study to build this treatment of the Lord's Supper that is eminently usable, deeply redemptive-historical, and beautifully rendered. The young pastor will benefit from early exposure to Griffith's meditations on the table, and the experienced pastor will find refreshment from the expert voice of a peer.--Scott Redd, President, Associate Professor of Old Testament, Reformed Theological Seminary, Washington, DC As a pastor, I've longed to lead our people more deeply into fellowship with Christ at his Table, but have felt limited. Using the entire Scripture to set the Table, and then practical meditations for preparing the meal, Howard Griffith has provided ministers every resource for rightly serving up the rich fare of God's grace.--Glenn Hoburg, Grace Downtown church, Washington, DC Spreading the Feast, by Dr. Howard Griffith, is a wondrous treatment of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. Not only does Dr. Griffith provide an accurate theological and biblical foundation for understanding the sacrament, he also balances it with godly pastoral sensitivity. All church leaders and laity will benefit from this book. I now wait eagerly for Dr. Griffith's reflections on baptism.--Peter Lee, Associate Professor of Old Testament, Reformed Theological Seminary, Washington, DC"

Theologically sound and insightful throughout. Here indeed is a feast for all who value their participation in the sacrament, but especially for pastors, whether beginning or experienced, looking for help in making their own ministering at the Table more meaningful and honoring to the Lord. -- Richard B. Gaffin Jr. Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology, Emeritus, Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia I have profited greatly from Spreading the Feast. . . . Howard's treatment is biblically sound, and he opens up rich themes, of which some pastors may be unaware. The book will be very useful for pastors and students of theology. I recommend it highly. -- John M. Frame J. D. Trimble Professor of Systematic Theology and Philosophy, Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando Professor Howard Griffith puts us all in his debt by his clear and rich exposition of the meaning of the Supper. But he does much more than that. Reclaiming the older tradition of 'table sermons,' he simultaneously provides both a model for pastors and soul-nourishing teaching to help us all to discover the joy of union and communion with Christ. -- Sinclair B. Ferguson Professor of Systematic Theology, Redeemer Seminary, Dallas

Author Information

Howard Griffith (PhD, Westminster Theological Seminary) was emeritus professor of systematic theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Washington, DC, and an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in America.

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