Hi, all! 

Unless you are familiar with this particular location, you see a picture of parts of my family last fall as we walk toward that little church building. It might or might not be for a worship service of some kind, or we may simply be heading in for one of those tours of which I’m very fond.

But if you’ve guessed anything similar, you’ve guessed wrong. Although the building looks like a church, is shaped like a church, and even has the word “Abbey” in its name, the only obvious worship taking place inside its walls is that of man and his desire to quench the cravings of hunger. This is a restaurant.

The tiny town of Townsend, Tennessee, boasts this quaint establishment which becomes quite popular around lunch time. The larger portion of the building actually includes an unused stage and several empty wooden church pews. But it isn’t used as a church.

For the majority of us who attend services inside a church building, we may arrive at our chosen place of worship, walk across a parking lot, and enter a building where we assume we will have our hunger and thirst quenched. And if the church, its leaders, and its pastor are doing their job, the Lord can and will use them to take care of those needs for us each, albeit in the spiritual sense.

Now, a sit-down potluck meal at church provides some wonderful times of fellowship, but the belief in and worship of the Living Water and the Bread of Life will take care of everything you need. Whether the building looks like a church on the outside or not, it’s the inside that makes the difference. “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”  

We knew that this was a restaurant before we arrived, and we received just exactly what we expected — food for our bodies. On your ventures to your chosen place of Biblical worship in the coming week, be challenged not so much by the church building itself, but by the lasting difference that can be made inside. You see, it’s inside that counts. When Jesus comes to abide with me, he does so inside my heart, not sitting outside on my shoulder.

Come inside. Attend expectantly. Have your needs met. Bow before the One Who is worthy of our worship, and dine. The meal is fine!

Just a thought. 

’Til later.

Brad Campbell can be reached at mastah.pastah@yahoo.com.