Dear sisters and brothers,
Blessed Eastertide to you!
Our good news this past Sunday was that against the pretensions of the powers that claim to control the levers of history, and into our own sin and brokenness, the Easter gospel goes forth: Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen one, has triumphed over sin and death, and is Lord of heaven and earth! His kingdom of liberating love is at hand: right here and now he is speaking and working among us, empowering us to participate in and proclaim this new life: freedom, forgiveness, and flourishing for all.
As a response to the good news, I invited us to “get real” about our suffering and brokenness. The temptation can be to deny or ignore “bad things,” but the way forward in new life is to confess where we’re really at, AND also to confess the Easter gospel, and to do this in community. As we learn to bear with each other in this way, we begin to see together how the resurrected Christ is at work in our midst.
One of the ways we can extend this response beyond Sunday prayers is by gathering as Table Groups during the week. Table Groups are how we practice being the body of Christ together at dining room tables in neighborhoods and relational networks. We share a meal, and seek to be present to each other in an open and hospitable environment.
We have three Table Groups currently meeting:
- The Northside Table Group meets on Monday evenings from 6-8pm – contact Nancy for details.
- The Downtown Table Group meets on Thursday nights from 6-8pm – contact Jon for details.
- The Midtown Table Group meets on the 1st/3rd Tuesday nights of the month from 6-7:30pm – contact me for details.
Also, Fr. Spencer mentioned last week that we will be running our College of Preachers again sometime this spring/summer. If you’re interested in being trained to preach like we preach at The Table, let me know!
May your Eastertide be filled with abundant and surprising blessings!
In Christ,
Fr. Ben
P.S. We had a lovely “pack your own picnic” together at the playground after worship on Sunday. We’ll plan to do this most Sundays during Eastertide when weather permits!
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