There's Always a Place at the Table

Every third Monday of the month, several ladies from our choir at church, and I go out to dinner together. These ladies are old enough to be my mothers, (keep in mind that I'm one of those children that takes a village to raise) I love each of them, and while some may find it "boring" to be around older people, I see it as opportunities to learn, and glean wisdom, or just to laugh. We baptists like to eat...sometimes when my pastor says "And all God's people said?" I reply "Let's eat chicken!"
Meal sharing is big thing in the Bible. Brennen Manning says in his book, "The Ragamuffin Gospel" that "to share a meal with someone is a guarantee of peace, trust, and forgiveness- the shared table symbolizes a shared life.
Back in Bible times, meal sharing was so sacred that eating with sinners such as prostitutes and tax collectors, lepers, and homeless was looked down on. But Jesus ate with them. Take the story of Zacchaeus for example..you know the wee little man, who was in the tree trying to see Jesus? Zacchaeus was a tax collector who cheated people of money, he was known as a "notorious sinner" as defined in Luke 19 of the NLT. The crowds, and church folk were upset that Jesus was having a meal with this "notorious sinner" after all what has he done to deserve the attention and love of Jesus? After eating, Jesus said to Zaccaeus, "Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a son of Abraham. And I, the Son of Man, have come to seek and save those like him who are lost." (Luke 19:9-10, NLT).
Then, we also read about the Marrige Supper of The Lamb, found in Revelation 19. Which is the feasts beyond all feasts! That's the table sharing I'm looking forward too.

He'd gotten used to living
On the outside looking in
Lonely was his only constant friend.
So when the invitation came
That clearly bore his name
He hardly could believe the words he read.
There is always a place at the table
There's a feast that's now waiting all your own
Your place is set each time the family gathers
It will never be the same til you're home.
She'd made so many choices
That had torn her life apart
And hurt the very ones she loved the most.
She didn't even know where someone could begin
Until she got this message from the host.
There is always a place at the table
There's a feast that's now waiting all your own
Your place is set each time the family gathers
It will never be the same til you're home.
Come home, come home.
My child, come home.
There is always a place at the table
There's a feast that's now waiting all your own
Your place is set each time the family gathers
It will never be the same til you are home.

"There's Always a Place at the Table"
Gaither Vocal Band