Come to the Table: The Table of Joy
World Communion Sunday
On Sunday, October 1, we celebrated a foretaste of the Kingdom Table as we put into practice all the aspects of that table. Over the past four weeks we learned about God’s table through parable and scripture:
The Kingdom Table: Abraham lived out God’s call to hospitality by setting a scrumptious feast for the three strangers at Mamre; God sets a table for us in the presence of our enemies, a promise we hear about in the 23rd Psalm; many of Jesus’ parables have to do with a dinner; the Kingdom Table has room enough for everyone, and we are all invited.
The Table of Love: God invites all to the table and there is a place for everyone, even the “sinners and the outcasts” that Jesus was accused of breaking bread with.
The Table of Peace: Jesus dined with all sorts of sinners, but proof of how we are called to put aside our differences and feelings at the table is the reminder that Jesus broke bread and shared the cup of forgiveness even with Judas on the night of his betrayal.
The Table of Grace: God’s mercy is way beyond our understanding; we become more like God when we learn to extend mercy without judgement. People think they can “earn” grace, but the truth is to get a place at the table, all we need do is accept God’s invitation.
So — World Communion Sunday we practiced dining at the Kingdom Table, as we had breads from all over the world and wonderful tchotchkes from members’ travels around the globe. For the last half of our worship, the large community of worshipers wandered from table to table, tasting the goodness and abundance of the bread of life. There was laughter, chatter, music, hugs, tears, and a whole lot of goodness and joy. Thank you to everyone who worked hard to make this a memorable meal: Cathy Lile, Betsy DeVries, Jill Miles, James Steinbacher, Rhenda Beeson, Sue Perkins, Gary Perkins, and Karen Sommerfeld.
We find that at the Table of Joy, we are not only filled with bread and juice — we are filled to overflowing with joy and gratitude. We have received an abundance of blessings at God’s table!
