Around the Table

  I joke that I inherited some of my Roman Catholic friends' guilt by attending 3 years of Catholic middle school. It was the first time that I can remember that I did not attend a Maundy Thursday service in a "church." I put church in quote because what I mean by church is a building with four walls, with steps leading into it,  a pulpit in the front, with a preacher, a choir, and a hopefully a cross somewhere in the space.

My grandfather had taken a serious turn for the worse this past week.  He hadn't been eating for 8 weeks, had trouble breathing, his eye-sight is failing, and there is concern about his heart.  I received the call you know the one - the one that says this isn't quite it but it's coming soon.  You'd better find a way to get there.

So with permission from my head pastor at Springdale Presbyterian Church - Chris and I drove the 12 hours there on Maundy Thursday.  I didn't go to a traditional bricks and mortar church that night - but I think I was churched.

At 6:30pm the delivery guy from the local Italian Eatery brought over some spaghetti and garlic bread.  We sat down together at the table - Grandma, Grandad, Chris, and me - we prayed, we ate, we laughed, we cryed and most importantly we broke bread together and drank wine together.

Now according to my tradition's polity this isn't a sanctioned communion table - but for a moment I realized this is what it was like for Jesus and the disciples.  They were sitting around the table together as friends and now family.  They shared together good, prayed, laughed, and cried - then Jesus broke the bread and said take and eat this - this is my body broken for you - and then he took the cup at the table and said - take and drink this - this is my blood shed for you for the remission of sins.  They were words but they were more than words.  It was sharing but it was more than sharing.  Most importantly it was not sanctioned by the authorities of the time but it certainly was blessed by God.

Have we forgotten why we take communion?  Have we gotten so caught up in the ritual that we have forgotten that it was a simple meal around a simple table shared with friends and family?  That something important was being said and done but without all of the ritual.  I know I had forgotten that.

Later that night after dinner with my Grandparents - I said to my husband - this is the first time that I can remember not going to "church" on Maundy Thursday.  He simply said to me - Rachel we had a more meaningful church experience tonight around the table.  I thought for a moment and realized - yes we did.  We had celebrated with my Grandparents around the table food and drink knowing that looming in the backdrop was the threat of death.  This is how the disciples must have reflected on their time together with Jesus.  I now understand fuller what Jesus meant by saying - where 2 or 3 (or even 4) are gathered, I am there.  We were there around the simple kitchen table. We were there.