Bonhoeffer on The Fellowship of the Table

May 22, 2012 By Christopher Smith 1 Comment

On Sunday, I was not attentive to my schedule and had it sprung on me that it was my turn to give the communion meditation at our church. So, I quickly turned to Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Life Together, which we are reading in our Sunday School class, and stumbled again upon the following brilliant passage.  I share it again here, because all the facets that Bonhoeffer locates in the Eucharist here are central to what John and I are calling Slow Church: gratitude, the centrality of Jesus (I’ll have more to say on this point later this week), the unifying power of eating together, the joy and festivity of being and eating together and the importance of sharing our food.

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Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“The Fellowship of the Table”
Life Together, p. 66-69

Ever since Jesus Christ sat at table with his disciples, the table fellowship of his community has been blessed by his presence.  “And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.  And their eyes were opened, and they knew him”  (Luke 24:30-31)

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To know Jesus Christ in the presence of these gifts—what does this mean?

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Filed Under: Eucharist, Food, The Table, What is Slow Church? Tagged With: , , , 1 Comment

Bringing Slow Church to a Fast Generation [Ekklesia Project Guest Post by Jarrod Longbons]

March 5, 2012 By Christopher Smith 4 Comments
[ On July 5-7, The Ekklesia Project will hold its annual gathering in Chicago, which will be on the theme of Slow Church.  Between now and July, we will be running a series of lguest reflections here by folks connected with the E.P. We've asked guest posters to reflect on the meaning of Slow Church from their own local contexts. More info on the E.P. gathering.  ]

Today’s reflection, the second in the series, is by Jarrod Longbons.
Read the first post by Lee Wyatt.

I am part of a thriving, yet “slow church” community.  It’s called YAC (Young Adult Community), a ministry of Northside Church of Christ for members of late generation X and early generation Y in the campus “twin city” of Bloomington-Normal, Illinois.  Our group is mixed, consisting of college and graduate students, single professionals, marrieds, parents (babies in tow), dating couples, those who attend Northside, those who are disillusioned with church, Protestants, Catholics, and some with disabilities.  The patchwork of people makes our life together quite colorful.  Like many other ministries, we have regular meeting times, classes, a community garden, creativity nights, campouts, mission trips, service projects, etc.  But the “bread and butter” of our life together is our Sunday evening Eucharistic celebration.

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Filed Under: Eucharist, Food, What is Slow Church? Tagged With: , , , 4 Comments

Setting the Table [Guest post by Jen Michel]

March 3, 2012 By Christopher Smith 2 Comments

TableJen Michel is a new friend from Toronto that I met on my writing retreat in February.  She recently posted this piece on her blog, Finding My Pulse, and her reflections on the table were in line with our Slow Church image of “Dinner Table Conversation as a Way of Being Church,” so I asked if she would mind my re-posting it here.

Years ago, I read a great book by Danny Meyer called: Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business. At 27, Meyer opened what would become one of Manhattan’s best restaurants: Union Square Café. Since that time, he has experimented and innovated on his ideas of “enlightened hospitality,” where giving attention to the team you employ and the function of your space figures importantly in the purpose of gathering people communally around a table.

This kind of gathering for meals around a table is a sacred act in the Christian tradition. Jesus gave us a meal for remembering Him, and there is much to be learned from the theology of the meal. Most obviously, Jesus gathers His people corporately and meets them in their gatherings. The church needs that reminder desperately when culture sings the song of the individual, and books today are being published with titles like, Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Eucharist, Food, Meditations, The Table Tagged With: , , , , 2 Comments

Gather ‘Round

October 13, 2011 By John Pattison Leave a Comment

Here is an event you should know about. The folks over at CONSPIRE Magazine are celebrating the release of their “Food, Feast, and Table” issue by inviting people to participate in “Gather ‘Round” events throughout the month of November. These are nights of “food and celebration and drawing together.”

CONSPIRE is at its best when we come face to face. Breathing together in real and tangible ways is at the core of who we are. This special night embraces the sacredness and joy of the dinner table, and invites others into our homes and places of gathering to plot goodness. It’s a gathering to remind each other that we are not crazy… or at least that we are not alone.

Next Monday I will be posting an interview with CONSPIRE editor Dee Dee Risher. In the meantime, you can learn about Gather ‘Round at the magazine’s website and at the event’s Facebook page. You can also sign up to host an event in your community. (My wife and I are hosting an event in Silverton, so let me know if you are going to be in the neighborhood.) And watch that gorgeous video a few more times for inspiration.

P.S. Thank you, Lori Ventola, for sending that video my way.

Filed Under: Eucharist, Happenings Tagged With: , Leave a Comment