one step out...

you know that scene in indiana jones and the last crusade when harrison ford while navigating the traps of the cave reaches a gap in his path, an uncrossable gorge, which he must traverse to retrieve the holy grail in order to save his mortally wounded father? following his clues he realizes that he must take a leap of faith into what appears to be a nearly bottomless chasm. well, it is at that same type of juncture that i find myself this week, as i embark upon an adventure that could lead to the foundation of the table.

in march, as a result of some of the relationships that i had been building with coworkers and some of the resulting conversations, i began to think about forming a group. call it a gathering, a conversation, a round table, or whatever you will, i wanted to create a time, a space, a community for those conversations, instead of piecemealing them together between refilling teas and running food. after rolling it around in my head for a few weeks, i mentioned it to renee as something i would like to do over the summer. well the summer has almost slipped by and i had yet to put any serious traction to this idea, as i am sometimes wont to do. well this past week renee called me to the carpet asking me what i had done to inaugurate this gathering. that conversation alone would have been enough to press the wheels into motion, but little did i know that they would be kicked into top gear the very next day.

merely 20 something hours later my brother-in-law, michael, asked me, "so, what's next for your ministry?" to which i responded, "i have in mind starting a group with a few of my coworkers from my jobs." he followed with the question, "what would that look like?" i explained how i would like to start a group that would meet and discuss spiritual matters that could progress into a study and on into a core group that would eventually be the foundation of the table. he responded with, "what's holding you back from starting that this week or next?" i hemmed and hawed a bit, before realizing that i had no good answer except that i hadn't asked anyone to join me. with that out of the way, we talked about trying it out the following week.

and so this week--wednesday at 11pm to be precise--i am going to host the first gathering at a local taproom, with michael generously subsidizing the tab with this weekend's poker winnings. imagine that, beer and gambling being used to further the kingdom of God?! i have invited or will invite 8-12 friends to join me in an open conversation on spirituality. of those i have asked all have either expressed interest in or outright committed to coming. as a wannabe pastor, i want to know and plan on asking (though, i reserve the right to change, rephrase, amend, or add to these questions as the Lord leads):

1. where they have come from?
2. where are they now?
   
3. how have they gotten here?
   
4. what hangups do they have with God, Jesus, the Bible, Christianity, and the Church?

i want a sense of where people are so that i can understand and reach out to them, meeting them in their situation. to that end this group is truly a mixed bag (with several disavowed christians, several Christ-followers of varying maturities, a fairly devout catholic, a few that are seeking, and several agnostic/atheists) and should give me a broad cross-section of austin's culture. i could add further distinctions that will likely prove interesting in the context of the conversation, but may not necessarily be helpful to illuminate within the context of this blog.

i anticipate lively and revealing conversation and hope that it will spark within each individual a desire for community and truth, such that they keep coming back in the following weeks. i desire that they will not only bond together in community, but they bring friends as well. i hope that we meet so frequently and grow to the extent that i have to find other means of sub"suds"izing the gatherings beyond even a year's worth of michael's poker winnings. i envision that one day this gathering will move from discussion of the general and superficial spiritual hangups that i initially anticipate, to a deeper discussion and study of biblical issues (such as the person of Christ, his work on the Cross, and his resurrection), to a core group that would be the foundation of the table. but of all the hopes and dreams that i harbor for this gathering, i desire, first and foremost, that each individual comes face to face with the life-changing reality of Jesus Christ and find their lives inescapably changed.

it is upon this adventure that i enjoin you. i need and covet your prayers, not only yours but those of Christ-followers in this great state, across this country, and around the world. if you find this compelling, i ask you to forward it on to anyone who you think might be equally moved. i would also welcome any comments or encouragements that you have, for i have never felt so much trepidation and at the same moment anticipation for anything in my life. it is truly thrilling. and so it is with you that i take my one step out...

the table pt. 2

oh how neglectful i am. as i was posting the last entry, i couldn't help but think that i was missing a reason as to why i had chosen the table as the name for the church. as it turns out, i did forget a major reason for choosing "the table" as the name.

the reason i forgot is that i want this church to be known for its celebration of the Lord's table. i believe that the Lord's table is the physical symbol or representation of the gospel. 1 corinthians 11:26 says "for every time you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes." in other words by participating in the Lord's supper we actually share the gospel with those around us. because of this i believe that the gospel needs to be presented not only verbally, but also physically to those who attend my church who may not be Christ-followers. so what better way to state your intentions to celebrate the Lord's table than to name yourself after it?!

so anyway, forgive my forgetfulness and and add this to the other reasons why i want to call my church "the table."

the table

for anyone who doesn't know, i plan on calling my church "the table." i thought extensively about the name and the connotations of the name. i wanted a name that would be catchy and at the same time meaningful, and "the table" is the name at which i arrived.

community and fellowship are the first things that comes to my mind when i think of the table, something the church is supposed to be about, not to mention that these are deep seeded needs of our culture. i am reminded of the song "the table" by riley armstrong whose lyrics follow:

the table's where my father thanked the Lord for providing
the table's where he sat us down and told us to stop fighting
at the table there were tears, at the table there was laughter.

the table's where my mother brought the fruits of her labors
we never did go hungry although there were times we were able
at the table love prevailed, at the table love was always there.

chorus:
i was always safe and warm
sheltered from the sticks and stones
and although time passed by and we moved on
i will still pray Lord keep my family strong
'cause life out there isn't how life was around the table.

the table's where my family shared the joys and the sorrows
stories of the day and the goals for tomorrow
at the table someone listened, at the table someone always cared.

and i will never forget all the memories at the table
holidays with relatives and coffee with the neighbors
at the table we were home, at the table we were never alone.

bridge:
around the table we were one
'round the table we were fortunate to grow up
and as we ask to be excused we never will remove it from our hearts.

i know this song is written about a family's kitchen table and yet it carries a lot of the sentiments that i envision for the church. the table will be a place for laughter and tears. it'll be a warm and safe place where someone always listens and cares. it'll be a place of provision and a place for mediation. it'll be a place for family and friends, a place of unity. it'll be a place where we grow. and hopefully it will be a place that never leaves our hearts even if we move on.

i envision that the table will be people's second chance at church. to that end and in the spirit of the table, i chose psalm 34:8 to be the verse that expresses the mission and vision of the church. it says, "taste and see that the Lord is good." it's not taste and see that christianity is good, or taste and see that church is good. instead it points people to God. too often people have been hurt or burnt by christians or by the church. the fact is, people and human institutions can and will fail us, but the Lord will not. we desire to point people to Him and yet try to remove the barriers that inhibit people from participating in the human institution.

finally, in an attempt to remove barriers that may inhibit people coming, i left off the designation of church. i did not leave of that designation lightly as i love the church or at least, as a friend of mine pointed out, the idea of church. yet i do not intend for there to be any confusion that Christ and the gospel will be our central focus. and since the church is the body of Christ, our church will be a church regardless of it being a part of the designation. the upside, however, is that an individual who may never walk into a "church" may find their way into "the table."

i wish to make one last point and one which i will elaborate on further at a later date. the name "the table" plays into a ministry plan that i have to reach out to wait staff, bar staff, and host staff in the service industry. look for more on that later.