Feast - "Nourishment" (1/24/16)

Hey Feasters,

Good news! The Broncos play the earlier game (1pm) this Sunday. Well, I guess that’s good unless you are Panthers or Cardinals fan. Anyway, enough of sports… we are continuing our series through the values of The Table this weekend as Ben Grieving will be teaching on Nourishment (small blurb and questions, below). Jeanine will be hosting this week as we partake in the weekly Eucharist as a multigenerational family and have great convo over excellent potluck food. Yes! Bring a dish to share… During the adult convo time (post meal), Ryan and Lauren Miller will be hanging with the kiddos talking about eating healthy and having meals with friends and family that are fun and meaningful… nourishing the soul, so to speak. 

A few more quick announcements:

1.) We are having a special “Soup for Syria” - Soup Night at the Broek’s (1719 S. Emerson) this Thursday (5:30-7:30pm), raising $ and awareness for Syrian refugees while showcasing some yummy Syrian soups. Bring your wallet and your appetites. 

2.) Pub Theology is on Thursday (8-10pm) at Little Machine Beer. We’ll be tacking Eastern Orthodox Spirituality. Don’t forget to RSVP on the Denver Pub Theology MeetUp page.

3.) Mark your calendars for Thursday, Feb. 4 for our 3rd annual Death over Dinner night (in lieu of soup night). Google it… it’s actually fantastic! 

RSVP, gang.

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Nourishment Notes

The first humans written about in the Bible got into trouble over what they could and couldn’t eat. The dietary restrictions in the laws of Israel are one of their most distinctive characteristics. Jesus’ first miracle was making more wine at a feast. Jesus (controversially) said his followers needed to eat his flesh and drink his blood, and John the Apostle describes heaven as the place where God’s people can eat from the tree of life. Why is food such an important theme in the Bible? What does it mean to be truly nourished? Next Sunday, we’ll spend some time thinking about the nourishment of the body, mind, and soul.

Pre-Message Questions

* What feelings do you associate with meals? Do you just grab a bite whenever you have a spare few minutes? Do you try to sit down for a family dinner a few times a week? Do you have any other intentions you try to fulfill around the table, other than getting enough calories in you to fuel your day?

* What activities do you participate in to nourish your mind and your soul? Is it harder for you to find time for those activities than it is to find time to nourish your body? Why?

Post-Message Questions

* One of the promises that ties the whole Bible story together is that God will give his children eternal life. What does the term “eternal life” mean to you? Is “eternal life” something that comes after death, or is it something we can somehow have access to now?

* Food and meals are very symbolic in scripture. How does food function as a symbol or signpost in our culture? How about in your community or family, or for you individually?

* In what way (or ways) is nourishment communal as well as individual? How is nourishment part of God’s purpose for his people and the world, and how does nourishment tie into the mission of God’s people?

The Feast - Community Pt. 2 (1/17/16)

Happy January 14th, friends of The Table community,

It was good to see old friends and meet new ones Sunday night. Everyone is always welcome to the table. We sincerely mean this, amigos… We missed a few regulars the other night, and hope to see everyone this coming Sunday as we continue to dive into The Table’s values: Community, Nourishment & Grace. We’ll feast in potluck style… bring a dish to share with the community (Note: We arrive at 5pm to help set up the feast, and begin the procession to the tables at 5:30pm)! There will be singing, scripture reading, partaking in the Eucharist, a time for reflection and great dialogue. Ryan Miller will be doing a teaching on the benefits of community this weekend (short blurb and questions, below). Craig & Jeanine will be having fun and teaching the kids during that time. They will link the blessing of authentic community with prayer, and will be making community prayer pails to send home. If you’d like to get involved in the rotation of childcare, please let us know. Also, if you have any prayer requests, concerns or you’d like to share a blessing, don’t hesitate to contact us. Invite a friend and don’t forget to RSVP on our MeetUp site. 

Thanks.

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Most people have been blessed to know the feeling of being a part of a tribe. Maybe you felt that feeling on someone’s wedding day. Perhaps you’ve experienced this during a sports season when your team wins the championship and everyone wearing your team’s colors is giving hugs and high fives (shameless plug for Craig’s KC Royals!). This could have happened during a yoga class you’ve taken, or maybe it’s the feeling you’ve had from being in a supper club or a personal interest group. By nature, we are tribal creatures. And now that we live in a post-tribal world where we can work at home and live isolated lives, many people are depressed, disconnected and spiritually lost – even within the local church world. What might it look like to revisit the timeless benefits and the sheer blessing of being a part of the local and universal church – the community of Christ’s body – in a dynamic, life-giving way?

Questions during meal time

*Last Sunday, Craig talked about his family’s nightly tradition around the dinner table, asking one another, “What was your BEST today?” as an example to rejoice in one another’s celebrations. In order for us to begin celebrating with one another around this table tonight, what was your BEST this week?

* Think back to when you were a child. Where did you find community and a sense of belonging? What did community look like to you growing up?

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Post message questions

* To achieve the benefits of community, you and others around you have to be devoted to one another and have a cause worth fighting for (like the early church). Looking back at the communal benefits laid out in Acts 2, where do you yourself and our community succeeding and lacking? How? Give examples.

* Prolific author, farmer and activist, Wendell Berry, states, “Healing is impossible in loneliness; it is the opposite of loneliness. Conviviality is healing. To be healed we must come with all the other creatures to the feast of Creation.” Talk about a time in your life when you came to this realization and allowed genuine community to help heal you &/or your family/ friends…

* What are some things you (and your family/ friends) can do that would help bless & benefit others in your community (‘hood, school, work, etc.) and this Table community in Denver? How we can best hold one another accountable (in grace and truth) to be a blessing in our community?

Feast - Community Pt. 1 (1/10/16)

Feasters,

Join the fun on Sunday (5pm) in the lower level of Platt Park Church for our first Feast of 2016. We'll eat, drink, celebrate the Eucharist and have some meaningful convo. Craig will be opening up our new series on the values of The Table, teaching on Community this week. (short blurb and questions, below). Ben and Jenn are going to be talking to the children about the earliest church in Acts and how they shared with each other and sold stuff to help others, etc. Everyone will bring a dish to share with the group (poluck style). Don't forget to RSVP via MeetUp and invite a friend or two while you are at it... Looking forward to it, friends. 

RSVP: http://www.meetup.com/The-Denver-Table-Worship-Gatherings/

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In 2011, The Table was founded on the values of community, nourishment, and grace. This Sunday we will explore the kind of work it takes to build, join, and maintain authentic community, just the way God intended.

Questions about community and work:

*The theme song from the hit TV show “Cheers” suggested that “Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name and they’re always glad you came. You want to be where you can see, our troubles are all the same. You want to be where everybody knows your name.” Is it true? Do people really want to be known? Do you? Why or why not?

*In your mind, which best illustrates authentic community: The bar? The church? A social interest club? Something else?

*Talk about a time being a part of a community was hard work. Did you engage it? Why or why not?

*Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “Those who love their dream of a Christian community more than they love the Christian community itself become destroyers of that Christian community…” How might our dreams of community actually be a detriment to community?