A Place At The Table
"What if..."
I remember when Kinfolk released their first volume, "A Guide For Small Gatherings." (I know, privileged hipsters picnicking on Pendleton blankets surrounded by mason jars is a bit played out. But stick with me for a minute.) What struck us then was the simplicity — strangers welcomed to the table and community discovered over a shared meal. So we thought...
What if church was like that?
I'd been a big church pastor for a while. I was pretty good at it. I used to think I'd do it forever. There were some really great moments like the time a thousand people came to Christ in a weekend. (That never gets old.) A few days later, my friends David, Philip, and I were waiting to greet them in a smaller venue with a meal on the table and a learning journey through the Bible prepared. It was "beautiful." The three of us just sat there afterward, looking at each other, wondering aloud...
What if we did church like this?
Fast forward. Vocational ministry was a few months in the rearview. Sheena, the kids, and I had moved cross-country to the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Jesus words, "Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest." were the only beat we were marching to.
In a renewed state of being, we regained a relational warmth long neglected on the shelf behind the busywork. Our door opened again and our dining room table was surrounded by friends, misfits, neighbors, and searching souls. People found a family and, through that, discovered the real Jesus—Lord, lover, and life-giver. "He was known to them in the breaking of the bread" became the new rhythm that moved us. Then, after 2 wonderful years, Sheena and I looked at each other and said...
Let's do church like this.
Nearing a year in Bethlehem, we've gathered with some of the best people we've ever met in homes, tiny pubs, and big brick buildings. Where once was just an idea, now are real names and faces. What started with a few, now has a core group that collectively shares the dream. But one thing has stayed the same and always will...
