Table Groups are an extension of the Lord’s Table into our own homes. Table Groups offer a meaningful place of belonging where we meet together for a communal meal, a time of sharing and discussion of the Scriptures, and common prayer.
Table Groups are a place of formation, fellowship, and Christian hospitality where we explore what it looks like to
live all of Life with Christ.
Table Groups are an extension of
the Lord’s Table into our own homes
What do we mean when we say “Table groups are an extension of the Lord’s Table”? We are speaking of the profound mystery that the Lord’s Table is transformative to, and the impetus of, all we do. When we come to the Lord’s Table, God is the Host and we are the guests. Yet, in a mysterious way, when we partake of the Body and Blood of Christ (historically called, “the Host”), we become what we eat, and God sends us out into the world as hosts, because of our union with the Host. This implies that we are now supposed to be God's representative hosts to each other and to the world. With that as our basis, our Table Groups embody three things:
They are for our formation (individual and collective) as a place to work out what it means to live all of Life with Christ.
They are for the sake of the world as we extend hospitality through invitation to friends, neighbors, and seekers of Jesus to our tables, so that they may ultimately be led to the Lord’s Table.
Table Groups exist also as ends unto themselves, as they are an expression of mutual love, joy, and belonging in Christ – the very purpose for which we were created and redeemed, and what it means to be a part of the Household of God.
Table Groups offer a meaningful place of belonging where we meet together for a communal meal, a time of sharing and discussion of the Scriptures, and Common Prayer.
Table Groups have three elements: Communal Meal, Discussion, and Common Prayer.
The first element, a Communal Meal, is where we gather around the table and practice what it means to be part of the Household of God. It is communal in that we all
contribute. The sharing of a meal has so many connections in Christianity. Food was a form of God’s mercy to the Israelites in the desert through manna. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus is either teaching lessons or telling parables over a meal. He fed 5,000 with a meager offering from a boy. On the road to Emmaus, he taught two of his disciples how the Old Testament teaches about Himself. The disciples were amazed, but had no idea it was Jesus until he broke bread with them! We believe something important happens over a meal together when we invite Christ into our midst. Namely, it is an extension of God’s grace into our lives.
The second element is Discussion. After the meal, we transition into a time of discussion, in which we open His word. The focus is on the Lectionary texts used from the upcoming Sunday. The discussion may also bring together the other texts, as appropriate. This is an opportunity to hear from the Lord what His word might be saying to us.
The last element is Common Prayer. This is the culmination of our time together. This is where we offer ourselves to God through communal prayer. During this time we pray Compline from the 2019 BCP. We value praying the Daily Office as best we can (Morning Prayer, Midday Prayer, and Evening Prayer and/or Compline). It’s also an opportunity to pray for each other and our needs. The main purpose of this time is to strengthen our fellowship in Christ together through intimacy and vulnerability in prayer.
Christian wisdom has taught us that “we form our habits and then our habits form us.” We believe that God desires for us to enter into the formative rhythms of Christian community by practicing hospitality around a table. It is here that we learn new habits and start to work out what it means to be a community which lives all of its Life with Christ. As we look at the life of Jesus we see him doing many things, but in addition to teaching Jesus spent a lot of time eating and fellowshipping with His disciples. Jesus did not teach his disciples in a vacuum, but he taught them within the context of deep relational connection and a shared life, which happened most naturally and most often around a table. We pray that the tables in our homes model the grace and hospitality that Christ shows us.