How do we actually do what Jesus does? As apprentices of Jesus, we are called to not only follow Jesus in spirit but we are called to continue his work on earth as it is in heaven. This includes things like opening up our homes and our lives to those who don’t know the real Jesus, praying for the lost, peacemaking, doing justice, preaching the gospel, teaching the ways of Jesus, standing up against religious and political corruption, and peacemaking. This summer we are allocating very intentional time as a church and in missional communities to explore and take next steps in forming our lives around the practices of Jesus; specifically regarding how we eat and drink and with whom.
The history of the church is around the table. For hundreds of years, this is where the people of Jesus met. And it’s from around tables that the gospel spread – from one table to the next. From one home to another. All over a meal.
The table is a very ordinary place and can become so routine that it gets easily overlooked as a place of life-changing community. By setting a table and sharing a meal, we provide the context for which people feel loved, where people feel heard; a place where God’s spirit can move. The practice of eating and drinking is central to the Kingdom of God; Jesus ate with the lost, Jesus ate with community, Jesus ate with God.
