On January 1, 2020, God clearly told me that my theme for the year was to “Celebrate the Goodness of God.” I undertook a study of what the Bible taught both about God’s goodness and what celebration meant in Scripture. It was fascinating! Clearly, God is a God of celebration—He instituted the abundant feasts and traditions of celebration for Israel in the Old(er) Testament. He commanded his people to celebrate—what he has done for them and who he is. The interesting thing is, the majority of the celebrations included a feast—a “coming to the table.”
No matter the purpose of our celebrations, they are 1) intentional; 2) requires preparation; and 3) are usually in the community of others. Celebration, for the Christ-follower, is actually an essential element in our spiritual formation and growth. According to Richard Foster, “Celebration is one of the lost disciplines of the Christian life; it is ignored. We are called to be people who celebrate!” Another view is expressed by Maurites Stevens, “Celebration is at the heart of the practice of all the spiritual disciplines.” Wow! I had never considered how celebration was actually part of my walk with Christ! Dallas Willard confirmed it for me by writing, “Celebration is the completion of worship for it dwells on the greatness of God as shown in his goodness to us. . . a healthy faith before God cannot be built and maintained, without heartfelt celebration of his greatness and goodness to us in the midst of our suffering and terror.”
So, we made plans to celebrate by scheduling a series of dinners, specifically to gather people to celebrate the goodness of God in their lives. We invited people who were somehow involved in our respective ministries. We had two glorious evenings. . . and then COVID-19 put a stop to our plans! But, my desire to celebration God’s goodness didn’t cease—I just had to find ways to do it “virtually” with friends and family.
God’s invitation to “come to the table” never ceases. The ministry of Jesus was replete with times of joining others (sometimes outcasts!) for meals. His first miracle was at a wedding feast. He ate with his disciples before and after his death and resurrection. He was revealed as Jesus as he broke the bread with the despondent disciples on the Emmaus Road. Jesus used the metaphor of feasts and banquets for the kingdom of God more than any other. The Scriptures tell us that an amazing feast it being prepared for us when we enter into Glory. The call to “come to the table” is inclusive of all who follow Christ and no one seeking God will be denied.
The ultimate “come to the table” celebration for us now is the sacrament of the Eucharist. Initiated on the night before Jesus died, it is the “holy of holies” (Brian Zahnd) for the Christian. Zahnd continues, “No longer is the holiest of all a veiled chamber reserved for a solitary high priest, now it’s a shared table to which all are invited.” It was so important to the First Century followers of Jesus, that they celebrated the Eucharist as a part of their communal meals, often daily.
During this current time of forced isolation (I am on Day #60), we deeply miss partaking with the community of faith of God’s blessed table. This “mystery of grace” is deeply ingrained into each of us. I was so longing to partake in the blessed bread and wine. . . the “Lord’s Table,” that on Maundy Thursday (during Holy Week), I asked my husband if he would join me in a time of “coming to the table” of the Eucharist, for just the two of us. I prepared a beautiful table setting. I read a Lenten devotional for that day and Glenn read the Scriptures that declare that the words of Jesus, “this is my body and blood, do this in remembrance of Me.” We prayed and then we served each other of the elements. We closed in declaration and celebration of God’s goodness. It was my most precious “come to the table” experience for a very long time.
I invite you to look for ways to celebrate the goodness of God, even during this strange time of social distancing, isolation and “shelter in place” orders. God invites each of us to “come to his table” today.
Amen.