Feasting friends!
On behalf of The Table, I
whole-heartedly welcome all of you to our new worship gathering in the basement
of Platt Park Church, beginning weekly on November 29 at 5pm. The Table exists to engage our neighbors and
communities with the tangible grace of Jesus, and the feast is simply an
expression of worship where grace is shared around the table with a
participatory meal, teaching, conversation, and opportunities for personal
reflection and spiritual expression. During the season of Advent (4 weeks
before Christmas), we will journey through an amazing curriculum called Advent
Conspiracy together. Week 1 theme: Worship
Fully!
Here’s a snippet from AC Week 1…
The Christmas season
has seemingly morphed into one extended shopping season. The idea that this
time of year could possibly be about something more than the buying and giving
of stuff has been buried beneath a pile of credit card debt and anxiety. And
yet, none of the things we've bought has ever brought lasting joy, meaning, and
satisfaction to us. The conspiracy of Advent (which simply means, "the
coming") is that there is something much deeper and much more satisfying
at the heart of this season than the pursuit of the best Black Friday
doorbuster event. Not even Cyber Monday can offer the same promise as Isaiah
when he told us about the one who would be born on Christmas Day:
"Immanuel, which means, God is with us". This Sunday we will gather
to encourage and challenge one another to reorient our hearts and the Christmas
season around the gift of a person - Jesus - who is truly worthy of our hearts.
Once you arrive in the basement at
PPC at 5pm, I will personally greet you at the door, give you a name tag and
you’ll be guided to either the kitchen with Damon Card or the worship space
with Allie Card to help set up. We believe this to be a much better way of
getting to know the person next you before we start talking around the
table… Like I said, it’s a
participatory gathering, indeed! A little after 5:30pm everyone will gather
back together, and we’ll read some Scripture aloud, participate in responsive
readings, sing some songs and partake in the Eucharist/ Communion during the
course of the meal. After the meal, the children will be dismissed, and Craig
Broek will provide a short teaching. This week, Jeanine Broek and Sharon
Withers will have a blast with the children doing everything from the Hokey
Pokey to dancing, singing and doing a craft that goes along with the theme of
the night.
Below, you will find the questions we
will use as a guide for intentional conversation during the meal…
1.) Most of us have very specific memories about the Christmas season,
both positive and negative. What are some of those positive memories? How would
you describe the best Christmas you ever had as a child? What made it special?
2.) Do you still look forward to the Christmas season? If so, what do you
enjoy about the season? If you no longer look forward to Christmas, why not?
What word would best describe what you want to experience this year during the
Christmas season?
These are the questions that will
guide the table conversations after Craig’s teaching….
1.) One of the names used to describe the one God would be sending is
Immanuel, which means “God with us.” God coming to earth to be with us is a
huge gift and deserving of our worship. What are some of the other names used
to describe the one God would be sending? What do they mean?
2.) Shepherds of Jesus day were considered outcasts and had the
reputation as “unsavory characters” yet they were the ones to whom the angels
first announced the birth of Jesus. What does this tell you about the heart of
God? How do the shepherds respond to this news? In what ways does the worship
of the shepherds differ from our celebration of Christmas?
3.) At Christmas in stores, on TV, on the internet, we are confronted by
the worship of things. In what ways might we worship things? How might we
reorient ourselves to remembering that Christmas is about worshiping Jesus?
What practical choices do you need to make to ensure this happens as an
individual? As a family? As a community?
We will end the night with a final
song, blessing, some announcements and a ‘lil thing called clean up!
Invite a friend or come alone… you’ll
make friends either way. Looking forward to it.
Peace,
Ryan Miller
