TABLE

Acts 2:46

And they broke bread in their homes & ate together with glad & sincere hearts. 

When you think of the evening meal, what image comes to mind? A quick drive-thru meal on the way home from work? Date night with a hot meal & dessert? Something casual with the family?

There are so many ways to experience a meal. John & I rarely eat meals at the table when we eat at home. When it's just the two of us, it's somehow easier to park in front of the TV to eat. We watch a show or the news & comment about what’s going on in the world. This habit has been carried over from John's childhood. His mother taught piano lessons each evening, so she would cook dinner then begin teaching after school until well after dinnertime. The rest of the household were responsible for getting dinner then his dad would do the clean-up. This was their norm.

When I was growing up, my family ate at the table most nights. I just assumed this was the case for every household. Mom & dad both worked, then they both contributed to dinner. When it was time to eat, my sister & I would clear our homework from the table or be called from other parts of the house to come eat. We mostly ate evening meals together around the table. This was our norm.

Now that I've gained a little perspective with age, I'm actually not sure how common it is to intentionally gather around the table together. I know friends who ate cereal for dinner, weeks on end. I know some people who grew up with parents in different homes. Meals for them differed depending on whose home they were in. One person told me all she ever wanted was a family who ate dinner together around a table because that’s what she saw on TV; she didn’t think it was real life. 

Let me give you some quick context: This part of the book of Acts takes place in Jerusalem during the short time just after Jesus was resurrected & returned to God. The group of people we now call The Church are reaching out to their friends & neighbors to tell them about this guy they used to know– except he was more than just a man. 

He was killed on a cross AND HE CAME BACK TO LIFE. 

He healed people. 

He loved on people. 

He challenged people. He even told a lot of the religious leaders in Jerusalem that they were wrong in a lot of ways & that they had more in common with tombs full of death & decay than with God. 

While Jesus’ most devoted followers were with Him, they saw Him feed a lot of people. This Jesus person recognized that you can't talk to people about their eternity if they're hungry & hurting right now. On two separate occasions, the bible tells us Jesus fed thousands with a small meal that was barely enough to feed a working boy because He felt compassion for those who were hungry. He wanted to meet this immediate need so He could then meet their eternal need. 

Needs are met around a table. 

First, physical needs: hunger is satisfied; thirst is slaked at the table. Can you picture the table where the hungry are fed? Many people I know serve in food kitchens where people are fed who otherwise wouldn’t have food. I used to work at a school where kids went home with food backpacks on the weekend. If they weren’t at school, we couldn’t be sure they were eating enough to satisfy their little growing bodies. When people are hungry & thirsty, they don’t have attention to spare for anything else. 

Second, emotional needs: connections are kindled & solidified at the table. One of my favorite things to do is share a meal with new friends. When we get together with our best & dearest people, we want to meet them to share a meal. Thanksgiving is a big deal for John & I believe it should always be celebrated with a full table. We have welcomed many people to our Thanksgiving tables over the years. Even if we come to the table as strangers, we leave the table as friends. 

There is something beautiful & vulnerable about sharing a meal. I find that people are more open to conversation when they’re focused on cutting meat & buttering a roll. There’s a certain amount of intimacy to sharing the bowl of salsa or surreptitiously checking your partner’s teeth for spinach.

The word for

what we build

around a

table

is

community. 

In community, we can be vulnerable & open. We can have hard conversations. We can share in celebrations & heartaches. We can let people come into our lives in a way that lets them share in our overflow. This is also how we grow our influence in the lives of others. If we can’t trust each other while we’re eating, we can’t trust each other to share our lives. 

David says in Psalm 23:5, “He prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies. . .” David is not eating with his enemies. He’s eating despite the presence of his enemies. Because he trusts the One who has set the table. He trusts the One who has prepared the table. 

In Psalm 34:8, David invites us to, "Taste & see that God is good." I like to personalize the people of the bible. I can imagine David saying this to the people around him, urging them to eat up! Take a drink! Enjoy what is here at the table because it's a gift from God.

Whether your meal tonight is eaten alone in a crowd or a bowl of cereal for the third night in a row, welcome Jesus to the table. Do this literally if it helps. Set an extra place at the table so you can picture Him there with you. Have a conversation with Him & tell Him about your day. I think you will find in time that where Jesus is welcomed in, there is more than enough.

Enough food.

Enough laughter.

Enough community.

Our God is a God of abundance. He wants to be a part of your community, with you at your table, no matter how many are present.

After all, He is the giver of all good things.