We are all welcome at His table.
Yesterday, my pastor asked us to really think about what it means to take communion. He said that many of us think of dainty little cups with dainty little wafers. We politely sip and go on about our business. He said that coming to the table with Jesus wasn’t a one time polite invitation and that we are truly missed when we are elsewhere.
He then went on to talk about being welcomed to Sunday dinner at different people’s houses while growing up and how friends can really become family.
I was reminded of my own Sunday dinner experiences. My mama always had a big Sunday dinner and there was always room for extras. I had one friend in particular, who would call me right after church and ask what we were having, almost every Sunday. She would then be over in a flash.
Mama always welcomed her at our table and Daddy would ask where she was if she didn’t show for the Sunday meal. She was always welcome. She was family. We knew it and she knew it. We loved her and she was missed when she was away. My parents always told her so.
Mama always had a way of making all of my friends feel welcome and she always kept extra food in the freezer for extras who might show up. There was always enough. I never really had to ask.
Now that I have teens of my own, I try to provide the same welcome that my mama always did. When my daughter has friends over to study, we always invite them to stay for dinner. At first, they acted surprised at the invitation, but they usually accepted it.
Now they are completely comfortable and expect it, which is fine with me. My daughter has one particular friend, just like I did, that has her own chair at our table. She always sits in the same spot and considers it hers.
We like to engage the teens in conversation and ask them what’s going on in their lives and they like to talk about themselves. They feel comfortable helping themselves to seconds. They feel welcome. They feel like their presence matters to us.
When I don’t see one of my kids’ friends for a while, I always tells them that I’ve missed seeing them.
My pastor pointed out that Jesus feels the same way when we are absent from His table. We are all welcome. We are all family when we come together. We are missed when we don’t show for whatever reason. But, He saves a chair for us and He welcomes us back, no matter how long our absence may be or whatever the reason.
The invitation is always open and the banquet is always ready, but not for that polite, four fork, linen napkin in your lap, meal. Nope, this invitation is for real fellowship over a real meal. Think fried chicken, corn bread and iced tea. This table is for authentic communion and community.
There’s always enough. We never even have to ask. Why in the world, would we want to miss it?
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂