December 12, 2024 – A Bigger Table: Building Messy, Authentic, and Hopeful Spiritual Community

“I learned a long time ago that the most God-honoring, most Jesus-reflecting act is to err on the side of loving people. When you simply accept those around you in whatever condition they come to you, the table naturally expands and relationship happens and God does stuff that you couldn’t predict or control.” (Pavlovitz, John. A Bigger Table, Expanded Edition with Study Guide: Building Messy, Authentic, and Hopeful Spiritual Community (p. 63). Presbyterian Publishing Corporation. Kindle Edition.)

It’s funny how little it takes to show people they matter and what a difference it makes in inviting them into meaningful community. Sometimes it takes simply welcoming someone into church and inviting them to sit with you in your pew instead of leaving them to their own searching. Kindness, it turns out, is powerfully disarming – and it is amazing how many people will come back to worship with people who have shown them kindness.

And yet it seems to be too difficult for many people these days just to accept people as they are. Too often we want to fix people who are not like us, at least that is the message we send when we condemn them or make them feel unwelcome. Christians are supposed to be open and welcoming. The example of Christianity I see on the Evangelical side is one of condemning and name calling. They are really good at seeing the speck in their neighbor’s eye while ignoring the log in their own. They are masters at casting the first stone at people they condemn as sinners. Must I remind them that we are all sinners who fall short of G-d’s glory.

My friends, if we want to be a stronger and wider and more diverse community of believers in the love and mercy and grace of Jesus, we need to expand our table and get into the work of kindness and welcoming, and out of the business of name calling and hate.

Pastor Dave

December 11, 2024 – A Bigger Table: Building Messy, Authentic, and Hopeful Spiritual Community

“Awe came upon everyone because many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.” Acts 2:43-47

“Churches get leveled and relationships are severed, all because we didn’t want to do the messy, costly work up front of sharing everything and admitting that maybe we’re all family precisely because of our junk, that we’re all in equal need of mercy, and that God is more benevolent and patient than we ever are with one another.” (Pavlovitz, John. A Bigger Table, Expanded Edition with Study Guide: Building Messy, Authentic, and Hopeful Spiritual Community (pp. 52-53). Presbyterian Publishing Corporation. Kindle Edition.)

“We are family. I got all my sisters with me. We are family…come on everybody sing….Everyone can see we’re together, As we walk on by

(And) And we flock just like birds of a feather, I won’t tell no lie

(All) All of the people around us, they say “Can they be that close?”

Just let me state for the record, We’re giving love in a family dose”

Oh the words of the song “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge. Can they be that close? It seems the early believers from our reading in Acts 2 were just that close. They worked together, offering their collective belongings and money for the good of the community and the ministry of Jesus. These points suggest that where G-d is especially at work and where G-d’s presence is especially experienced, such giving and sharing is the natural Christian response.

I like to think that our churches still function in a similar way, though it does look very, very different. The only groups today who give all of their belongings and money to a so called “divine purpose” are members of cults. Jim Jones and the People’s Temple is a good example. I do not mean this as an indictment but merely as a recognition. But where there is such a calling to share openly and with generosity, our response should be one of celebration rather than suspicion.

What we should be sharing in a communal and individual manner are our own experiences of G-d’s grace and mercy and love in and among us. What message do we send to the world about G-d by our own attitudes and deeds concerning how many possessions we need to accumulate? How can our own lives better reflect what G-d has done for us and the living presence of Christ in our midst?

Pastor Dave