“When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him.” (Luke 24:30–31b)
I must confess that I’m not a big New Year’s resolutions practitioner. I’m not sure why, but it probably has to do with my reluctance to be uncompromisingly bound to any personal resolution. I’m humbly aware that even a good resolution, made with the best of intentions, might need to be adapted, modified, or even abandoned as God draws my attention to something more divinely important. With that said, I’ve nevertheless decided to reveal to you two New Year’s resolutions I have set for myself for 2014. I’ll call them Table Resolutions. They are not grandiose resolutions but they do lead me forward in my desire to bridge the gaps that so often keep us apart.
Table Resolution #1
My first table resolution is to learn the Portuguese portions of our monthly English-Portuguese Communion liturgy at Central Baptist Oakville (The portion my colleague Diné speaks). It is such an honour for me each month to share in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper (Ceia do Senhor) with a combined English/Portuguese language liturgy. Together each month, we gather as Portuguese and English speaking brothers and sisters in Christ and demonstrate to one another and the world that language need not be a barrier for those united in Christ. I am also humbled by my church’s willingness to overcome linguistic challenges for the sake of the ministry we do together in Christ’s name. Learning our Communion liturgy in Portuguese is one way in which I resolve to honour the relationship we share in Christ around the Lord’s Table in 2014.
Table Resolution #2
My second table resolution is inspired by something I read in David Fitch and Geoff Holsclaw’s book Prodigal Christianity (2013). Geoff speaks of the church flyer which led him to choose Life on the Vine Christian Community in Long Grove, Illinois as his home church. The flyer in question described “Evangelism” as “Inviting someone over for a meal”. WOW! What a great way to describe evangelism - as an act of table hospitality motivated in Christ. What a great way of bridging the gap between neighbours, strangers, colleagues, Portuguese and English-speaking siblings in Christ, rich and poor, sinners and saints, young and old, etc. And thus, over the next 12 months I resolve to “invite someone over for a meal” on at least 4 occasions. If the disciples were able to recognize the presence of the Risen Christ around a dinner table, then I’m guessing it is probably a pretty good reason to make it a resolution for 2014.
Happy New Year!. Feliz Ano Novo!
Reprinted from Inside Central (January 2014)
