In this message, Pastor Eric begins our new sermon series reflecting specifically on stories about Jesus that take place at/around the table/meals. Jesus always seemed to be going to a meal, at a meal, or coming from a meal. More than just a setting, it represents a crucial image of Jesus' mission and God's dream for the world. This message reflects on Jesus' parable of the Great Dinner Banquet in Luke 14 to reflect on questions about who is invited, welcomed, and honored at God's Table... and how it might not be who you think it is. In fact, it may just be all the people that Christians and churches have long told they are not welcome! The question for us, then, is how this image of God's Table challenges us to reorient our own relationships and communities. Who has been excluded--told they don't belong--in our community and how might we reach out to form relationships with them that invite all of us to be changed.
