In the beginning ...

... there was a table. This week marks the official beginning of what forever more will be known as "Common Table".  One of the questions most asked at the beginning stages of this journey is "Have you found a place for your church yet?"... practically every day in fact.  Its completely understandable as "church" is identified primarily by a location.  My wife and I have spent a considerable part of our ministry trying to undo that concept.  Interestingly (or not), on the very day that we move into our new neighborhood, many of my evangelical colleagues will be leading their places of worship in a national "Back to Church" campaign.  The irony is not lost on us. 
For us and this new chapter, "church" won't have an address as much as it will have an atmosphere.  Don't misunderstand, at some point that only the designer of this plan knows, the "church" will undoubtedly have an address.  For now all it has is a table. This isn't your average church.  Actually it's not even your average table.  The table is currently being constructed by a very gifted friend to be a unique, one of a kind, gather people around, to celebrate and mourn, to know and be known, kind of table.  It represents the reality that, according to Jesus, the kingdom of God is like a great banquet or a feast and it will be surrounded by many people, most of whom might be considered unlikely guests.  In fact, many of those whom one would expect to be on the list, in reality won't choose to attend. Chances are the ones you would never have considered inviting will show up anyway.  This might be because, contrary to all thoughts previously held so closely, we are not really the ones who extend the invitation in the first place.   
Anyone in catering can tell you that banquets can be messy affairs and even a casual glimpse at the earliest gatherings of the faithful can bear witness to this.  So our table and our community will have to accommodate mess.  This is understood going in.  We will also have to allow the true host to lead in the cleanup.   Chances are, if we let it, and prayerfully we will, the party will get quite out of hand.Have you ever hosted or attended a party where, all of a sudden the realization hits that there are more people than were planned for?  In no time at all, a frantic grab for chairs ensues and its no longer a priority (if it ever was) to have chairs or place settings match each other.  Soon nothing matches, but that is just fine because neither do the guests.  In reality, they probably never did.  People are as different as the chairs and places at the table end up being.  Its not important.  What is important is that everyone is there for the party and everyone is welcome.  It is our belief that this is what the kingdom of God was intended to be, and in fact it was wherever Jesus could be found.  Our prayer is that Jesus would be found within our community, through our gatherings around a common table with mismatched chairs.  Our prayer is that He would also be found through our serving and loving the city that we call home.