The Missional Table

I liked the sound of the title not sure if I can do it justice.

Psalm 23 says "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies" I like that. It suggests a lack of fear. Who will we allow to sit at our table?

I often find it interesting that when you read of the last supper in Luke 22: 14 it says "when the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table" originally the passover was to ate standing! Had these guys embraced the roman culture of reclining whilst eating? Don't know what point I would be trying to make there?

In modern society is the table and having people back to our homes to eat the way forward or are we better of going to a restaurant? Eating at home is cheaper. However eating at home can put the hosts under quite a lot of stress. Some people live very ordered lives and have immaculate homes others of us live at a slightly different pace. Do we just need to get over ourselves and not worry about the state of our homes?

There is also the issue of quality of food, not everyone is a great chef and not all people find cooking easy or restful!! There is pressure, do the people who bang on about the need for more people around the table have a gift of hospitality? I think so. But once we put that pressure on everyone it's not so easy. You go around to someone's for Moroccan beef on a bed of apricot infused cous cous followed by their home made bread and butter ice cream. You then think "how can I compete with that?" "if they come back to ours how will they deal with burgers and chips?"

Once again I am just thinking out loud, we do have people around and the Moroccan beef is one of Tracy's better dishes. In fact we are having the 3 remaining members of our team around this evening for a fare well meal. I am cooking and have decided to go for something a little different, a good old fashioned fry up!!! Should be fun, I'll take some snaps.