Table Together

Growing up in my household, mealtime meant every man for himself! Almost always, someone was late for a rehearsal, ball game, and sleepover. Mealtimes were never peaceful in my family. My siblings and I would ransack the kitchen with little regard for our surroundings. Scooping the largest portion of mashed potatoes or snatching the last slice of pizza came without hesitation. At times, it was ruthless! It felt this madness always surrounded food unless we were at my grandparents’ house.

Visiting grandma and grandpa meant the exact opposite. We all sat at the table together. If my sister or brother were late, no one was allowed to begin eating until everyone was present. At the time, I thought this was annoyingly strict. As we waited for my sister to come down the stairs, sometimes intentionally slow because she knew it aggravated us, we would groan as our blood began to boil. We sat and we waited as our dinner in front of us got cold.     

It’s only recently that I began to realize the value of waiting until everyone was present at the table. While it aggravated me at the time, I now understand that it was my grandparent’s way of communicating that everyone is valuable. We couldn’t dig in until everyone was in their seat at the table. If one of my siblings couldn’t eat, nor could I. My grandparents were not only teaching us about patience, but they were also teaching us about empathy and care for one another. Imagine if we treated life this way. How different would the world be?

My grandpa was a Lutheran pastor, so I’m sure this was intentional, but this is almost exactly the theological point that St. Paul is making in his letter to the Corinthians. He connects every meal to the Lord’s Supper. It’s not the magic words or the fancy liturgy that makes the meal Holy, it is the people! The more people present, the more sacred the meal. Excluding others is antithetical to the Gospel. Paul was criticizing the church because too many people were eating while others went hungry. Paul’s point is that we can’t call it the Lord’s Supper if we disregard our neighbors. “So then, my brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat, wait for one another” (1 Cor. 11:33). It is in the waiting that we learn Christian ethic.

Around the Lord’s table, all people have a seat reserved for them. All people are worthy. I preach love and inclusion almost every Sunday. Why? Because we still struggle to grasp the fullness of God’s love. Until we better understand it, nothing else really matters. There is room for you at the table. There is room for me. There is always room for all those who are hungry. My prayer… Lord, accompany us as we wait for every seat to be filled around your table.

Pull up a chair,

Pastor Lucas

Photo by Spencer Davis