Hanging Together On This Journey
Table Talk
Setting the Table
You are welcome here. Take a moment to take in the space that is around you. Listen carefully to the sounds. Allow your body to be where it is, whether you are sitting or standing or enjoying a walk. Take a couple of deep breaths and remember that you are loved.
Read the poem by Maya Angelou below and picture the places and the people with whom your soul feels at home.
Lying, thinking
Last night
How to find my soul a home
Where water is not thirsty
And bread loaf is not stone
I came up with one thing
And I don't believe I'm wrong
That nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out here alone.
- Maya Angelou
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
Food for Thought
Anyone who knew my grandma knew she loved her family and yet, in her upstairs master bathroom, taped to her mirror, she kept a printout of a quotation which read: “Families are like Christmas lights. They all hang together, but half of them don’t work and the rest aren’t all that bright.”
I found this paper as I was preparing to write my reflection for her memorial service. I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or to be slightly offended! But as I considered this quote and the fact that she kept it as a daily, humorous reminder, it confirmed for me what I find most sacred about my grandma’s way of gathering people in: that in her gathering, she sees us and loves us just as we are. Her gathering us together was a labor of love both for us and for herself. It reflected her understanding of the deep desire of all people, including herself, to be seen and known, to be fully-loved, and to find home.
This became even clearer to us when, not long after she died, we came across a note she had written to her church community, a group of people she had loved for many, many years. She titled it “Gathering.” In it, she said, “Sometimes it seems extra effort is needed to gather us together, but mostly it is a natural and smooth process coming from a need to be in touch, to be aware of the cares and joys, our gladness and sadness. It is a need that lets us know this simple fact, that we just plain need each other!”
She was so right!
We are moving into a new season—a time to examine and open our hearts, a time to see ourselves fully and honestly, and a time to let go of that which keeps us from knowing more intimately ourselves, one another, and God. We might typically practice this kind of self-examination on our own, but we might also find that in sharing this journey with others, we will experience opportunities to see ourselves more clearly.
We are certainly learning in our larger world—in our communities, our neighborhoods, our schools, and our churches—that in these times of change, in times of difficulty, in times of grief, we are learning better who we are and who we can be through the experiences and stories of those around us. The truth is, we do just plain need each other! We need connection and community, we need to be known and to know others, we need to live believing this truth: that we shine brighter when hanging together than any of us would on our own.
This week, we challenge you to find a moment to gather together. Maybe it’s over a cup of coffee or maybe it’s a game night. In whatever way makes the most sense for you, find a few moments to be with others.
If that’s not what you’re needing right now, maybe take a few moments each day this week to write down the name of at least one person in your life that makes you shine a little brighter when you are together.
For a printable version of today's reflection, download our For Love's Sake eBook! For the kid's version, check out our For Love's Sake Kids eBook!
Blessing
God of Love,
You never intended us to live this life alone. You actively call us to one another. You call us to seek out one another in love. Help us, in this season, to open wide our hearts and arms so that we might offer rest, extend welcome, and find ways to be together.
Amen.
A little Table Talk for your table...
What is your favorite memory of a gathering? What made that experience special?
How can you help create spaces that allow others to feel fully seen for who they are?
Life is so very busy, and yet it is still so important that we find time for one another. In this season of new beginnings, what is one new practice you can take up that will help you stay connected to those around you?
Try taking it to the Kids Table...
Ask your kiddo to share about their favorite memory of being together with family and friends. What made that experience special for them?
Talk together about how you can create spaces that might make others feel special and important.
Make a list together of some ideas for special outings. Pick one and schedule it on the calendar—let your kiddo mark it down!
Meet our Welcoming Voice!
The Welcome Table Team - We are “The Bunce Girls!” Originally from Lexington, North Carolina, we were raised surrounded by music, justice, and faith. We spent most of our Sunday afternoons gathered around an open table with family and friends where the food was plentiful, stories and laughter connected our hearts, and where the presence of each individual was held sacred. It’s those moments that have inspired The Welcome Table.
To hear more from TWT throughout the week, follow along on our Instagram!
Here are Five Things to Remember When Setting Your Own Welcome Table!