November 21, 2025 • 28 mins
As we approach Thanksgiving, let's take a look at how food is a part of our lives.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Bring in your morning with wisdom and hope. It's Daily
Spark with Doctor Angela. Hello everyone, Aca, thank you so
much for joining me for Daily Spark for Doctor Angela.
I'm your host, Doctor Angela Buschester. You guys know who
(00:22):
I am, and you know what I like to do
on my show. Say it with me. I want to enlighten,
inspire and empower you to become your best self. No
scripture reminds us that the tongue is a small thing
that makes grand speeches, but a tiny spark can set
a great forest on a fire. And that's what we
(00:42):
want to do today. We want to get you fired
up about our topic. Today. We'll be talking about the
table is sacred faith, food and fellowship in the season
of fall. So you know what I'm gonna take to do. Gone,
get comfy, get cozy, get your coffee or get your
(01:05):
tea because we are about to get started. Hello everyone,
and thank you so much for joining me here on
Daily's Spark with Doctor Angela. I'm really excited about what
we are doing for our autumn series and it's a
journey through faith, through change and reflection. So today's message
(01:30):
is going to be along that same vein the table
is sacred faith, food and fellowship during the season of fall. Now,
I don't know about you, but I absolutely love to
cook during the season of autumn. Now, food is my
(01:52):
love language. So I love cooking for my family anytime
of the year, but autumn especially because there's so much
you can do with the ingredients that you are given,
and I love it. So, you know, fall has a
way of gathering us together, right. The holidays in particular,
(02:15):
are ones where we come close together. We come together
as family, as community, as friends. The days seem to
get a little cooler, and the light tends to fade
a little bit sooner, and suddenly we find ourselves craving warmth,
(02:35):
wishing that summer would soon roll back around. But in
true human fashion, as soon as summer comes, we can't
wait until autumn and winter are here. But there's something
about the autumn air. But it's not just the air,
is it. Part of it is our hearts. We love
(02:59):
that we can wear layers during autumn because it's warm
during the day and cooler at night. So we can
show off our fashion in a different way as well,
because we're able to add so many layers. But It's
also a way for us to show who we are
(03:22):
inside yep, our hearts come out again. Families gather, friends
come together, and meals become more than just food. They
become community and communion. So grab your coffee or your
tea as we jump into figuring out is there may
(03:45):
be something too, this pumpkin spiced or apple cinnamon that
we are putting in the food as we settle in. Today,
we're going to talk about the power of gathering, the
holiness of shared meals, and how God meets us at
(04:07):
the table. The Biblical table is something that we don't
always talk about, but something that is a part of
our lives. In Scripture, the table is sacred ground. From
Genesis to Revelation, we see God use food and fellowship
(04:31):
as a way to bring people closer to him. Abraham
welcomed strangers and shared a meal, not realizing he was
entertaining angels. Jesus broke bread with his disciples, not in
a palace, but at simple tables, And when he wanted
(04:55):
to explain grace, he didn't just give a life. He
chose to do it with a supper. Psalm twenty three
to five says it this way, you prepare a table
before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint
(05:16):
my head with oil, my cup overflows. There's something deeply
spiritual about that image God himself preparing a table for you.
Not a rushed meal, not fast food, not a takeout
(05:38):
bag or a doggie bag, a table where you are seen,
nourished and left. So as we talk today, I want
you to think about the tables of your life, the
dinner table, the coffee table, even the spiritual table of
(06:03):
your heart. What are you serving there? Who is seated there?
What will we find, who is welcome there? And how
is God being honored there? The heart of a fellowship.
(06:29):
One of the most beautiful things about fall is how
it invites connection. Bonfires, family dinners, pot lucks at church. Now,
I know most people call them pot lucks, but I
(06:52):
call them pot blessings. It's something that I picked up
a long time ago, and I thought that it was
beautif that we're not going to rely on just the luck,
the whimsy, but the blessing that God brings to us.
So instead of a pot luck, it's a pot blessing,
(07:16):
and we have them often. It's like the season itself
calls us back to one another. In Acts two, verse
forty six, it says it this way, they broke bread
in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts. Now,
(07:42):
growing up as a kid in the eighties and a
young adult in the nineties, there was still a lot
of that community going on. The ladies would still gather
for you know, tea or coffee. They would still kind
(08:03):
of have that in home mommy and me feel of
just being together with their friends. That you were able
to watch them and see how happy they were to
be together. That it wasn't always about the place in
which they launched. It wasn't really even about the lunch, now,
(08:29):
was it. It was about the community. It was about
being with your girls. And the same holds true for
my generation. We love a good charcouterie board and a
reason to gather around it. And the reason is simply
because today is today. So that fellowship is a beautiful thing.
(08:57):
That's the heart of true fellowship. Just wanting to be
in the group with the people that you get to
share it with. Not the fancy dishes or the perfect decores,
though they do add a bit of ambiance and elegance
to the day. But just being glad and sincere about
(09:20):
being there. So you see, fellowship feeds our spirit just
as much as the food feeds our bodies. When we
sit with someone and we listen to their stories, when
we laugh together over soup or dessert, something sacred happens.
(09:46):
Walls fall, stress lessons, tension fades, wounds soften, and hope rekindles.
And that's what the fall season reminds us of. That
gathering is holding, that showing up, sharing and breaking bread
(10:13):
are all the acts of love that mirror the very
heart of Christ. Now, much like many of you, though
it may be a simple gathering, a grace is still
said over the food. It doesn't have to be a
fancy one. And sometimes I am not the one doing
(10:37):
the praying. Sometimes it's a friend who maybe is comfortable praying,
but they're not long winded either. So it is thank
you for the food, but also thank you for the
gathering of the people before us. Maybe remember the day
(11:00):
and be better for it. So in the heart of
your fellowships, bring that togetherness, that love and happiness, the
thing that you wanted to gather for in the first place,
because it brought you together to a happier place to
(11:22):
the best sense of yourself. It is time for us
to take a very short break. Don't you go anywhere.
We'll be back right after this. You're listening to Daily's
(11:48):
work for doctor Angela writing the Way to your best
life every day. And we are back and thank you
so much for joining me for Daily Sparka Darting Ansela.
I'm your host to Dartyank Angela by Chester. Today we
(12:09):
are talking about the table is a Secret. So that's faith,
food and fellowship during the months of fall. You know,
there is always a story to be told, a story
to listen to when you gather together. Now, I know
(12:31):
that every family gathering, every group gathering, is a little
bit different, and everyone does it the way that you
know works for their group. But we tend to share
the really good things that have happened to us. We
want each other to know the behind the scening moments.
(12:53):
What I mean by that is is that for any
great thing that has happened, unless it was work related,
meaning that it was limited in who could show, We're
always there for each other. Graduation, birth of a baby,
new job, dinner, celebration, you know, whatever it is, we're
gonna be there. So unless your workplace has done a
(13:16):
something for you and it was no outsiders were invited, right,
then we're probably gonna hold something for you after work
so that we could all come together and celebrate you
and what you have done. What I have found is
that when we get together for just the general purpose
(13:39):
of getting together, like for Sunday dinners or because everyone
happens to be in town at the same time, absolutely
that is a reason to hold a dinner, right. It
is so wonderful to be able together for those reasons,
(14:00):
to celebrate each other, for there not to be any animosity,
for there not to be a sense of competition amongst ourselves,
because let's face it, we're all called to do something different, right,
So if I'm the apple and you're the orange and
(14:27):
someone else is the key, we how can we possibly
compare ourselves to each other? We can't. And I love
that about my family that we know that that's not
something that we do. We celebrate each other. If that's
a different spin or a different take for you, I
(14:48):
want you to try it. I want you to shift
your paradigm and understand that what your sister and her
husband are doing, what your best cousin who's like your
brother is doing when he and his family are totally different,
right that your nieces and nephews are not your kids,
(15:09):
so they're going to express themselves a little bit differently.
And guess what all of that is? Okay? But when
we come together and gather the beautiful expression of art
that that creates, it's wonderful. And the stories that we
get to hear. I'll never forget one story that was shared.
(15:36):
It was a group of us from church and we
had decided that we were going to have a pot
blessing outside. Everyone brought something from their kitchen. Some folks
brought you know, storeboard pies and all of that, but
for the majority, about ninety five percent of it was
homemade items, from castle rolls to soups and stews and
(16:02):
sauces and absolutely pies, cakes and cobblers. We spread down,
you know, the blankets for the little ones to be
able to sit under the tree, and the tables were
all out so that we could place our food accordingly. Now,
(16:22):
because we like to do things, you know, in an
orderly fashion, there was always going to be this is
the table for like the meats and all of that,
and this is the table for entrees, and this is
the table for desserts, right, so that you could pick
accordingly and that kind of have to wander about looking
for stuff. It was a wonderful way of breaking everyone
(16:48):
together right in a way in that it became easy
to do. So it was easy because it was organized,
but it was easy because it was done with the
intention of today we all eat. We all eat in
(17:09):
that we're not gonna worry about what to fix. We're
not gonna worry about who's coming over. We're not gonna
worry about, well, did we have beef yesterday and should
we have fish today. We're gonna make what we want
to make, like what your best meal is, and you're
going to bring that to the church blessing. And because
(17:34):
you're bringing what you're really good at, nine times out
of ten, no one else is going to bring that either,
because they're gonna bring what they're really good at making. Right,
So you ended up having this schmortgage board, and it
was so wonderful. And there were some people who choose
to make things that have a cultural significance to them,
(17:57):
or perhaps they've married someone of a different culture and
it has a significance to them, so they bring that
right so that they can share that story. It was
such a wonderful thing. And what I really remember is
that there were all kinds of people there, young people,
(18:17):
old people, single people, married people, new believers, lifelong. There
were people who were a part of ministry, folks that
would never dream of joining the ministry teams. There were
people who you couldn't get them to do anything else
other than simply come to church on Sunday, and this
(18:39):
they were participating in. So instead of coming to Sunday
worship and then leaving, they were choosing to stay after.
It brought everyone together, and it reminded me of exactly
how Heaven would be. That we're not going to be
segregated off according to our denomination to the region of
(19:01):
the world in which we grew up or moved to.
That it would just be a gathering for everyone together.
How beautiful that gathering of believers would be. Well, as
the sun begins to set, someone started singing softly, then
(19:25):
another person joined in, and before you knew it, the
entire praise team was singing. I don't remember where Tim
had his guitar, but he whipped that out and we're
now having a little praise on worship right before it's
time to go. That day reminded me that the Kingdom
(19:49):
of God isn't just in the sanctuary. It's also in
a shared meal, and the gospel is alive at the table,
even if that table is a picnic table. It was
such a beautiful day, and those days don't have to
(20:13):
be limited. Those days can be more often if we like.
We simply have to choose to gather together. Now. I
know I said gather together and it made you think
of that song, right. I know I love that song
because we gather together to ask the Lord's blessings, and
(20:38):
we do so many times we forget that in our
gathering that God is there with us. So don't treat
our Lord and Savior like he's some stranger standing on
the outskirts near the gurb. But invite him in to
(21:01):
partake of the meal with you, to share a story
with you and through you, and you'll see that the
gathering is truly one that you will talk about for
months to come. So what can we do to make
(21:26):
the table sacred again? I want to give you some
things that I think that we could do that will
help us reclaim the table. In our modern world, the
table has become a rushed space. We eat while scrolling
or watching television. We even eat in our cars while
(21:48):
we're driving. But when we return to the table, when
we return with intentionality, something powerful happens. So here are
a few things that you can do now. Before I
hit this list, I want to mention this as well.
(22:11):
If you are in a household and you're not able
to physically gather at the table, but you are seated
in your family room and you're all eating together, or
you're using a little TV tray and that's your table.
If you are simply eating round about the same time,
(22:37):
and maybe you have some people who eat first, and
then you have people who eat after you, like you
eat in shifts. That's all gathered together because the intention
is there. So don't let something as small as well.
We don't have a kitchen table, doctor Angela. We just
(22:58):
moved in and we don't have a houseful of furniture.
Yet that's okay, that's okay. Are you guys eating of
the same entree like the same counsel role? You are great,
you've gathered together. We're gonna leave that there. So here
(23:18):
are some ways to make your table sacred again. Number one,
pray before every meal. Even a short prayer resets the
tone and reminds you of who provided the meal. Now,
I know many people do a very simple prayer, Lord,
(23:42):
we thank you for this food. Bless the hands that
have prepared it, mayor provide nourishment for our bellies. Amen. Right,
And many of you raised a hand and was like, Yep,
that's it. That's the one, you know, that's the traditional
one where you don't know what else to say that
you can simply say that, and that covers it all,
(24:04):
absolutely absolutely. Number two, create moments of gratitude. Go around
and share one thing that you're thankful for. It changes
the energy of the room. Now, I know that we
do this for Thanksgiving, where we ask each person who
(24:26):
has gathered with us, what is something that you're thankful for,
something that has really made a difference and you're grateful
that it has happened. Number three, Welcome someone new. Jesus
didn't eat with only those that he agreed with. Invite
someone who needs love, not just those that are familiar.
(24:51):
If you know that your bestie has a college roommate
that's going to be inten especially for the holidays. Tell
her or him, Hey, tell them to bring that person too.
There's enough for all of us, right, and have that person,
(25:12):
you know, come over and spend some time with your
friends and family, and perhaps they can pick up a
little bit of that leve that you place at your table. Again,
there is enough for everyone. Number Four, Turn off the distractions.
(25:32):
Make space for eye contact, for laughter, for connection, like
be in the moment. Now, Sure, after dinner's over and
the great conversation has kind of lulled a little bit,
and before we put on the movie that we're gonna watch, sure,
check your phones. And you know, I think that it
should be understood that if you're going to check your phones,
now is the time, Like now is the acceptable time
(25:56):
because we're no longer gathered around the table for that time.
We're now probably going to kind of break off into
our little groupings and spend and spend some time with
those folks. And that's wonderful, and that is probably when
the phones will come out. But making sure that you
have time to be together and not with so many
(26:16):
distractions is always a wonderful thing. So as we move
deeper into autumn, let's think about the harvest table, the
one where gratitude meets grace, where every leaf outside testifies
to change, but every meal we share testifies to provision.
(26:39):
I pray that your table right now, be it that
it is small or it is large, that it will
be a meal set at the table prepared for you.
And to this day I continue to say thank you
Lord for the holy meals that we have shared around
(27:03):
our dining room table. May we continue to have a
table full of family, laughter, music, food, and love. Alrighty, everyone,
thank you so much for spending some time with me
here today. I hope that why have once again enlightened, inspired,
(27:25):
and empowered you. As always. May the Lord continue to
shine his face around as always, May the Lord continue
to shine his face upon you. May you receive his
grace and his mercy in all that you do. Until
next time, everyone remember that you are blessed in the Lord.
Have a great day everyone, Bye bye,
Bring in your morning with wisdom and hope. It's Daily
Spark with Doctor Angela. Hello everyone, Aca, thank you so
much for joining me for Daily Spark for Doctor Angela.
I'm your host, Doctor Angela Buschester. You guys know who
(00:22):
I am, and you know what I like to do
on my show. Say it with me. I want to enlighten,
inspire and empower you to become your best self. No
scripture reminds us that the tongue is a small thing
that makes grand speeches, but a tiny spark can set
a great forest on a fire. And that's what we
(00:42):
want to do today. We want to get you fired
up about our topic. Today. We'll be talking about the
table is sacred faith, food and fellowship in the season
of fall. So you know what I'm gonna take to do. Gone,
get comfy, get cozy, get your coffee or get your
(01:05):
tea because we are about to get started. Hello everyone,
and thank you so much for joining me here on
Daily's Spark with Doctor Angela. I'm really excited about what
we are doing for our autumn series and it's a
journey through faith, through change and reflection. So today's message
(01:30):
is going to be along that same vein the table
is sacred faith, food and fellowship during the season of fall. Now,
I don't know about you, but I absolutely love to
cook during the season of autumn. Now, food is my
(01:52):
love language. So I love cooking for my family anytime
of the year, but autumn especially because there's so much
you can do with the ingredients that you are given,
and I love it. So, you know, fall has a
way of gathering us together, right. The holidays in particular,
(02:15):
are ones where we come close together. We come together
as family, as community, as friends. The days seem to
get a little cooler, and the light tends to fade
a little bit sooner, and suddenly we find ourselves craving warmth,
(02:35):
wishing that summer would soon roll back around. But in
true human fashion, as soon as summer comes, we can't
wait until autumn and winter are here. But there's something
about the autumn air. But it's not just the air,
is it. Part of it is our hearts. We love
(02:59):
that we can wear layers during autumn because it's warm
during the day and cooler at night. So we can
show off our fashion in a different way as well,
because we're able to add so many layers. But It's
also a way for us to show who we are
(03:22):
inside yep, our hearts come out again. Families gather, friends
come together, and meals become more than just food. They
become community and communion. So grab your coffee or your
tea as we jump into figuring out is there may
(03:45):
be something too, this pumpkin spiced or apple cinnamon that
we are putting in the food as we settle in. Today,
we're going to talk about the power of gathering, the
holiness of shared meals, and how God meets us at
(04:07):
the table. The Biblical table is something that we don't
always talk about, but something that is a part of
our lives. In Scripture, the table is sacred ground. From
Genesis to Revelation, we see God use food and fellowship
(04:31):
as a way to bring people closer to him. Abraham
welcomed strangers and shared a meal, not realizing he was
entertaining angels. Jesus broke bread with his disciples, not in
a palace, but at simple tables, And when he wanted
(04:55):
to explain grace, he didn't just give a life. He
chose to do it with a supper. Psalm twenty three
to five says it this way, you prepare a table
before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint
(05:16):
my head with oil, my cup overflows. There's something deeply
spiritual about that image God himself preparing a table for you.
Not a rushed meal, not fast food, not a takeout
(05:38):
bag or a doggie bag, a table where you are seen,
nourished and left. So as we talk today, I want
you to think about the tables of your life, the
dinner table, the coffee table, even the spiritual table of
(06:03):
your heart. What are you serving there? Who is seated there?
What will we find, who is welcome there? And how
is God being honored there? The heart of a fellowship.
(06:29):
One of the most beautiful things about fall is how
it invites connection. Bonfires, family dinners, pot lucks at church. Now,
I know most people call them pot lucks, but I
(06:52):
call them pot blessings. It's something that I picked up
a long time ago, and I thought that it was
beautif that we're not going to rely on just the luck,
the whimsy, but the blessing that God brings to us.
So instead of a pot luck, it's a pot blessing,
(07:16):
and we have them often. It's like the season itself
calls us back to one another. In Acts two, verse
forty six, it says it this way, they broke bread
in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts. Now,
(07:42):
growing up as a kid in the eighties and a
young adult in the nineties, there was still a lot
of that community going on. The ladies would still gather
for you know, tea or coffee. They would still kind
(08:03):
of have that in home mommy and me feel of
just being together with their friends. That you were able
to watch them and see how happy they were to
be together. That it wasn't always about the place in
which they launched. It wasn't really even about the lunch, now,
(08:29):
was it. It was about the community. It was about
being with your girls. And the same holds true for
my generation. We love a good charcouterie board and a
reason to gather around it. And the reason is simply
because today is today. So that fellowship is a beautiful thing.
(08:57):
That's the heart of true fellowship. Just wanting to be
in the group with the people that you get to
share it with. Not the fancy dishes or the perfect decores,
though they do add a bit of ambiance and elegance
to the day. But just being glad and sincere about
(09:20):
being there. So you see, fellowship feeds our spirit just
as much as the food feeds our bodies. When we
sit with someone and we listen to their stories, when
we laugh together over soup or dessert, something sacred happens.
(09:46):
Walls fall, stress lessons, tension fades, wounds soften, and hope rekindles.
And that's what the fall season reminds us of. That
gathering is holding, that showing up, sharing and breaking bread
(10:13):
are all the acts of love that mirror the very
heart of Christ. Now, much like many of you, though
it may be a simple gathering, a grace is still
said over the food. It doesn't have to be a
fancy one. And sometimes I am not the one doing
(10:37):
the praying. Sometimes it's a friend who maybe is comfortable praying,
but they're not long winded either. So it is thank
you for the food, but also thank you for the
gathering of the people before us. Maybe remember the day
(11:00):
and be better for it. So in the heart of
your fellowships, bring that togetherness, that love and happiness, the
thing that you wanted to gather for in the first place,
because it brought you together to a happier place to
(11:22):
the best sense of yourself. It is time for us
to take a very short break. Don't you go anywhere.
We'll be back right after this. You're listening to Daily's
(11:48):
work for doctor Angela writing the Way to your best
life every day. And we are back and thank you
so much for joining me for Daily Sparka Darting Ansela.
I'm your host to Dartyank Angela by Chester. Today we
(12:09):
are talking about the table is a Secret. So that's faith,
food and fellowship during the months of fall. You know,
there is always a story to be told, a story
to listen to when you gather together. Now, I know
(12:31):
that every family gathering, every group gathering, is a little
bit different, and everyone does it the way that you
know works for their group. But we tend to share
the really good things that have happened to us. We
want each other to know the behind the scening moments.
(12:53):
What I mean by that is is that for any
great thing that has happened, unless it was work related,
meaning that it was limited in who could show, We're
always there for each other. Graduation, birth of a baby,
new job, dinner, celebration, you know, whatever it is, we're
gonna be there. So unless your workplace has done a
(13:16):
something for you and it was no outsiders were invited, right,
then we're probably gonna hold something for you after work
so that we could all come together and celebrate you
and what you have done. What I have found is
that when we get together for just the general purpose
(13:39):
of getting together, like for Sunday dinners or because everyone
happens to be in town at the same time, absolutely
that is a reason to hold a dinner, right. It
is so wonderful to be able together for those reasons,
(14:00):
to celebrate each other, for there not to be any animosity,
for there not to be a sense of competition amongst ourselves,
because let's face it, we're all called to do something different, right,
So if I'm the apple and you're the orange and
(14:27):
someone else is the key, we how can we possibly
compare ourselves to each other? We can't. And I love
that about my family that we know that that's not
something that we do. We celebrate each other. If that's
a different spin or a different take for you, I
(14:48):
want you to try it. I want you to shift
your paradigm and understand that what your sister and her
husband are doing, what your best cousin who's like your
brother is doing when he and his family are totally different,
right that your nieces and nephews are not your kids,
(15:09):
so they're going to express themselves a little bit differently.
And guess what all of that is? Okay? But when
we come together and gather the beautiful expression of art
that that creates, it's wonderful. And the stories that we
get to hear. I'll never forget one story that was shared.
(15:36):
It was a group of us from church and we
had decided that we were going to have a pot
blessing outside. Everyone brought something from their kitchen. Some folks
brought you know, storeboard pies and all of that, but
for the majority, about ninety five percent of it was
homemade items, from castle rolls to soups and stews and
(16:02):
sauces and absolutely pies, cakes and cobblers. We spread down,
you know, the blankets for the little ones to be
able to sit under the tree, and the tables were
all out so that we could place our food accordingly. Now,
(16:22):
because we like to do things, you know, in an
orderly fashion, there was always going to be this is
the table for like the meats and all of that,
and this is the table for entrees, and this is
the table for desserts, right, so that you could pick
accordingly and that kind of have to wander about looking
for stuff. It was a wonderful way of breaking everyone
(16:48):
together right in a way in that it became easy
to do. So it was easy because it was organized,
but it was easy because it was done with the
intention of today we all eat. We all eat in
(17:09):
that we're not gonna worry about what to fix. We're
not gonna worry about who's coming over. We're not gonna
worry about, well, did we have beef yesterday and should
we have fish today. We're gonna make what we want
to make, like what your best meal is, and you're
going to bring that to the church blessing. And because
(17:34):
you're bringing what you're really good at, nine times out
of ten, no one else is going to bring that either,
because they're gonna bring what they're really good at making. Right,
So you ended up having this schmortgage board, and it
was so wonderful. And there were some people who choose
to make things that have a cultural significance to them,
(17:57):
or perhaps they've married someone of a different culture and
it has a significance to them, so they bring that
right so that they can share that story. It was
such a wonderful thing. And what I really remember is
that there were all kinds of people there, young people,
(18:17):
old people, single people, married people, new believers, lifelong. There
were people who were a part of ministry, folks that
would never dream of joining the ministry teams. There were
people who you couldn't get them to do anything else
other than simply come to church on Sunday, and this
(18:39):
they were participating in. So instead of coming to Sunday
worship and then leaving, they were choosing to stay after.
It brought everyone together, and it reminded me of exactly
how Heaven would be. That we're not going to be
segregated off according to our denomination to the region of
(19:01):
the world in which we grew up or moved to.
That it would just be a gathering for everyone together.
How beautiful that gathering of believers would be. Well, as
the sun begins to set, someone started singing softly, then
(19:25):
another person joined in, and before you knew it, the
entire praise team was singing. I don't remember where Tim
had his guitar, but he whipped that out and we're
now having a little praise on worship right before it's
time to go. That day reminded me that the Kingdom
(19:49):
of God isn't just in the sanctuary. It's also in
a shared meal, and the gospel is alive at the table,
even if that table is a picnic table. It was
such a beautiful day, and those days don't have to
(20:13):
be limited. Those days can be more often if we like.
We simply have to choose to gather together. Now. I
know I said gather together and it made you think
of that song, right. I know I love that song
because we gather together to ask the Lord's blessings, and
(20:38):
we do so many times we forget that in our
gathering that God is there with us. So don't treat
our Lord and Savior like he's some stranger standing on
the outskirts near the gurb. But invite him in to
(21:01):
partake of the meal with you, to share a story
with you and through you, and you'll see that the
gathering is truly one that you will talk about for
months to come. So what can we do to make
(21:26):
the table sacred again? I want to give you some
things that I think that we could do that will
help us reclaim the table. In our modern world, the
table has become a rushed space. We eat while scrolling
or watching television. We even eat in our cars while
(21:48):
we're driving. But when we return to the table, when
we return with intentionality, something powerful happens. So here are
a few things that you can do now. Before I
hit this list, I want to mention this as well.
(22:11):
If you are in a household and you're not able
to physically gather at the table, but you are seated
in your family room and you're all eating together, or
you're using a little TV tray and that's your table.
If you are simply eating round about the same time,
(22:37):
and maybe you have some people who eat first, and
then you have people who eat after you, like you
eat in shifts. That's all gathered together because the intention
is there. So don't let something as small as well.
We don't have a kitchen table, doctor Angela. We just
(22:58):
moved in and we don't have a houseful of furniture.
Yet that's okay, that's okay. Are you guys eating of
the same entree like the same counsel role? You are great,
you've gathered together. We're gonna leave that there. So here
(23:18):
are some ways to make your table sacred again. Number one,
pray before every meal. Even a short prayer resets the
tone and reminds you of who provided the meal. Now,
I know many people do a very simple prayer, Lord,
(23:42):
we thank you for this food. Bless the hands that
have prepared it, mayor provide nourishment for our bellies. Amen. Right,
And many of you raised a hand and was like, Yep,
that's it. That's the one, you know, that's the traditional
one where you don't know what else to say that
you can simply say that, and that covers it all,
(24:04):
absolutely absolutely. Number two, create moments of gratitude. Go around
and share one thing that you're thankful for. It changes
the energy of the room. Now, I know that we
do this for Thanksgiving, where we ask each person who
(24:26):
has gathered with us, what is something that you're thankful for,
something that has really made a difference and you're grateful
that it has happened. Number three, Welcome someone new. Jesus
didn't eat with only those that he agreed with. Invite
someone who needs love, not just those that are familiar.
(24:51):
If you know that your bestie has a college roommate
that's going to be inten especially for the holidays. Tell
her or him, Hey, tell them to bring that person too.
There's enough for all of us, right, and have that person,
(25:12):
you know, come over and spend some time with your
friends and family, and perhaps they can pick up a
little bit of that leve that you place at your table. Again,
there is enough for everyone. Number Four, Turn off the distractions.
(25:32):
Make space for eye contact, for laughter, for connection, like
be in the moment. Now, Sure, after dinner's over and
the great conversation has kind of lulled a little bit,
and before we put on the movie that we're gonna watch, sure,
check your phones. And you know, I think that it
should be understood that if you're going to check your phones,
now is the time, Like now is the acceptable time
(25:56):
because we're no longer gathered around the table for that time.
We're now probably going to kind of break off into
our little groupings and spend and spend some time with
those folks. And that's wonderful, and that is probably when
the phones will come out. But making sure that you
have time to be together and not with so many
(26:16):
distractions is always a wonderful thing. So as we move
deeper into autumn, let's think about the harvest table, the
one where gratitude meets grace, where every leaf outside testifies
to change, but every meal we share testifies to provision.
(26:39):
I pray that your table right now, be it that
it is small or it is large, that it will
be a meal set at the table prepared for you.
And to this day I continue to say thank you
Lord for the holy meals that we have shared around
(27:03):
our dining room table. May we continue to have a
table full of family, laughter, music, food, and love. Alrighty, everyone,
thank you so much for spending some time with me
here today. I hope that why have once again enlightened, inspired,
(27:25):
and empowered you. As always. May the Lord continue to
shine his face around as always, May the Lord continue
to shine his face upon you. May you receive his
grace and his mercy in all that you do. Until
next time, everyone remember that you are blessed in the Lord.
Have a great day everyone, Bye bye,
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