Twice
As a church leader, I need to watch out how I live, long before I lead others.
Woe to you, experts in the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel the sea and the land to make one convert, and then when he is converted, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.
— Matt. 23:15
These people are filthy stains on your love feasts when they eat with you without fear, shepherding themselves. They are clouds without rain, being driven along by the winds. They are autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots.
— Jude 1:12
Table-Centered
Gospel-centered. Bible-centered. Christ-centered. Cross-centered. How about 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.
New Life
We have been rescued and resettled. Now Kingdom life is becoming more normal, less foreign. Let’s unpack that a little.
God has rescued us and given us new life in Christ —
A new heart. A new spirit.
A new citizenship. A new family.
A new Sovereign and Father.
A new identity and culture.
Together, we are learning to walk in this newness of life.
People like us —
Exchange life with God.
Exchange life with one another.
Honor the identity God has given me, us, and every person.
Live in the patterns of God's kingdom.
Work for good in the world.
Make new disciples of Jesus.
Let this become our lived experience —
God is great. God is good. And God is near.
We are trustworthy stewards of the many forms of God's grace.
We are God's treasured possession and we live Jesus-like lives.
We so love the world that we give our first and our best.
Our everyday story is for God's glory.
- love
- Holy Spirit
- humility
- church
- politics & society
- mission & witness
- holiness
- parable & metaphor
- identity
- eternal life
- doubt & deconstruction
- leadership
- grace
- justice
- scripture
- spiritual life
- advent & christmas
- poverty & compassion
- imagination & creativity
- technology & ai
- knowing God
- human dignity
- faith & trust
- incarnation & cross
- kingdom of God
- community
- reconciliation
- spiritual formation
- epistemology
- prayer
- gratitude
- culture
- creation & nature
- discipleship