Table-Centered
“We are proclaiming what we have seen and heard also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us. Our fellowship is with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. ”
We are proclaiming what we have seen and heard also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us. Our fellowship is with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ.
Gospel-centered. Bible-centered. Christ-centered. Cross-centered. These are familiar descriptions used by churches to communicate a core emphasis.
In the spirit of the verse above, I am proposing table-centered.
What an amazing invitation we are given here—to be in koinonia fellowship with other saints, together with the Father and the Son. Metaphorically, we share a table. (And why not literally too?)
One English word I use for koinonia is ‘companionship’. The etymology of ‘companion’ is ‘with bread’. It’s the idea of sharing a meal. And this, of course, reminds us of the Eucharist—Communion, the Lord’s Supper, the Passover Feast—where saints together take the Christ into our deepest parts. The word ‘Eucharist’ means ‘thanksgiving’. There’s gratitude and joy at this table.
It’s at the table that we exchange life with one another and we exchange life with the Father and the Son. We grow in intimacy. We worship. We discover who we really are and how to live. We practice hospitality. We share our struggles and burdens. We make plans for showing love to the world. And we make space for more people of every kind.
I rather like the idea of being a table-centered church.
