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You’ve
Never Seen Me at the Table
By
Pastor Jack Hayford
Well, at least
most of you haven’t.
And I should
have said you’ve never seen us, because what I meant by “me”
was “me with my family.” It’s something to see… a rather unusual
experience, to say the least.
We have quite
a time together at dinner. It’s probably the principal time that
we all have together on a consistent basis. The evening meal has
become almost sacred—that is, in terms of importance… but
not in terms of deportment.
Our deportment,
or general manner, is something else. We laugh, eat, joke, praise,
correct, teach, play games, laugh some more, tell on each other,
joke, praise, correct, teach, play games, laugh some more, tell
on each other, eat some more, laugh again, communicate, talk about
Jesus, make noise, keep eating (sometimes while talking), correct
(for talking with your mouth full), laugh (at the noise from talking
with your mouth full), and praise the Lord some more (for having
our mouths full—of praise, joy, food, drink—and for our hands filled
with each other’s hands; we join them when we pray at the start).
Why this rather
bouncing description of Hayford table-time?
Because there’s
something powerfully grand about the potential of a family at table.
At least I’ve found it so; and I believe that God must too, for
the word is chock-full of events surrounding a table.
God built feasts
into the worship calendar of Israel.
Jesus taught
regularly from a banquet table.
David’s praise
to the Lord God, the Great Shepherd, centered on His faithfulness
to feed His sheep—in green pastures… and to prepare a table before
him in the time his enemy would surround him.
At the end
of time, Scripture shows God’s people gathered at a table. Revelation
19 answers to Jesus’ words in Matthew 26, when He spoke of His high
anticipation of the day when He will drink wine with us in His Father’s
Kingdom.
The people
of God eat often… and together.
There it is.
That’s what I’m after. I want you to think about our eating together.
I want you
to think about setting an extra place or two at your dinner table.
Often. There are those without family circles whose suppers tonight
will be lonely, joyless affairs. You know who I’m talking about.
Singles. Foreign students. Elderly folks. Maybe a young couple feeling
rootless and far from home.
For one night,
your family circle could become theirs.
I’m not talking
about a roast served on china and everybody feeling stiff and uncomfortable.
I’m talking about meatloaf served on your old comfortable dishes
to a family in their old comfortable clothes. I’m talking about
letting folks join your tribe for an hour or two, while everyone
takes the risk of just being themselves.
Scripture says,
“God sets the solitary in families” (Psalm 68:6).
How about yours?
How about tonight? |
Jack
Hayford Ministries
14800 Sherman Way, Van Nuys, CA 91405-2233