At the Table

Oh my.  To begin with, it is very true that New Orleans is the place to be if you like to eat!  As I type, stuffed from another wonderful meal with the Brothers, I'm thinking a bit about meals and such.  You see, Brother John was quick to reassure us new volunteers that the none of the Christian Brothers have starved to death.  And, he was right, I have eaten quite well since coming down to New Orleans.  Not only have we eaten good food, but we've also eaten well.  What I mean is that dinner at the Brothers house is more like an event.  We eat slowly, and share stories, and generally have a good time.  At the table we've learned that Brother Charles loves the opera, that Molly has the inside connection with Sister Helen Prejean (the real lady behind the movie Dead Man Walking), that the Brothers throw the best parties, that these dear New Englanders need a little help understanding events such as Coronation/Debutante balls, and that even a New Yorker can fall into the habit of using "bless their heart".

So the table unites us.  We come together to eat, to laugh, and to share.  The dinner table is a significant part of this community.  Well, this morning was Sunday morning, meaning that it was church/Mass day.  Brother John came with me for his first Methodist worship experience.  We attended Rayne Memorial United Methodist Church.  It also happened to be Communion Sunday.  And the pastor delivered one of the best children's moments that I've heard.  She spoke about a Gallup poll which found the top 3 things people love to hear: 1) "I love you", 2) "I forgive you", 3) "It's supper time".  This is the meaning of Communion.  God says, "I love you.  I forgive you.  You are welcome at my table, come join me."  Wow.  Talk about simplifying Communion without weakening its meaning.

So, I think it is two tables that unite this community: the dinner table and the Communion table.  We may not hold the exact same theology around the Eucharist but we all believe that the mysterious meal of Communion communicates God's love, God's forgiveness, and God's presence.  We share a table with a crazy awesome God and each other.  Together we laugh, learn, serve, and eat.  May we all remember to "taste and see that the Lord is good." (Psalm 34:8) and that it is indeed a sin to eat a slice of pie without ice cream :)