DVD Review: The Family Meal Table
Growing up, my parents made eating together a priority, especially dinnertime. We have so many fond memories around our kitchen table - in-depth discussions, hilarious stories, three spilled drinks by three different people in the course of a few minutes, unique dinner themes (Who can forget the Chinese dinner when we sat on the floor at a low table, ate Chinese food, with Chinese decorations? Gratefully we didn't have to try and use chopsticks the whole meal!). These are the memories that last a lifetime.
In our age-segregated, peer-oriented, over-scheduled society, it is so refreshing to hear a message upholding family-togetherness and making mealtimes meaningful. Thanks to Franklin Springs Family Media for producing The Family Meal Table featuring Nancy Campbell of Above Rubies. I've been familiar with Nancy Campbell for as long as I can remember, having read her writings for years, so it was very enjoyable to get to see and hear her speak for the first time on this DVD. I'll admit she has an interesting style - almost too expressive and energetic for me. But she had a lot of great points to share.
Two points which stood out to me were:
1. Have dinner on time - aim to have it ready as soon as your husband walks in the door. This is an area I really need to work on.
2. Make mealtimes fun and lively - your whole family should look forward to dinnertime because you have made it such a special part of your day.
Since I always want to give an honest review, I did want to point out that my husband and I felt through much of this DVD, it seemed Nancy was preaching and exegeting Scripture and the audience in the DVD was a mixed audience. As we believe Scripture is clear that men are to be the leaders in the church and that women are not to teach or usurp authority over men, this bothered us. I would have rather that it was a sit-down, one-on-one interview presented in less of a "pastoral-like" fashion.
This aside, though, you can't help but be inspired to spend more time as a family at the dinner table after watching this DVD. Besides making a strong case to return to the family meal table, Mrs. Campbell also gives lots of practical ideas and suggestions for making it happen. In addition, her husband, Colin, shares an exhortation to fathers to lead their family in family worship around the table.
Related: You can read Amy's review here.
posted by Crystal Paine at 7:40 AM
4 Comments:
. Have dinner on time - aim to have it ready as soon as your husband walks in the door
This cracks me up-We have have been married for 21 years,if I had dinner ready right when my husband walked in ,we would eat cold food or burnt.He doesn't like to eat right away when he gets home!!
We always try to eat together as a family. It makes it so that we can talk, and our young children can see that we pray together, talk together, and are a family.
I just got this DVD in the mail yesterday (as also with The Journey Home) and well, I found The FMT to be kind of boring...LOL. I mean, yes, it had some good quality points. My favorite part was the different interviews, that was interesting. I think Nancy over exaggerated things when talking (maybe it was just the way she talked)...kind of reminded me of Mr Rogers...LOL. But I did get something out of it.
i too got a lot of ideas from the dvd ( i watched it a few days ago- how timely you posted this now!) i was also struck by the same thing as you- that it seemed "wrong" to "preach" to men in the audience. maybe it was the subject matter that made it "ok" to do that since it deals with the home and the woman is to guide the home but i was struck as you were. glad i saw it tho :)
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