THE TABLE.

A gathering place so warm. A place where all have a seat and all are welcome.

Growing up, I remember one of my all-time favorite songs that I used to pray 88.1 Way FM would play was 'Big House' by Audio Adrenaline. I remember jumping up and down in my room with my pink boom box, playing it, and screaming the lyrics. It gave me a visual of what God’s house could look like, feel like, and be like. The lyrics go:

I don't know where you lay your head or where you call your home; I don't know if you got some shelter say a place to hide; I don't know if you live with friends in whom you can confide; I don't know if you got a family say a mom or dad; I don't know if you feel love at all but I bet you wish you had; Come and go with me to my Father's house

It's a big big house

With lots and lots a room

A big big table

With lots and lots of food

A big big yard

Where we can play football

A big big house

Its my Father's house

All I know is a big ole house with rooms for everyone; All I know is you need love and I've got a family; All I know is your all alone so why not come with me?

I still envision a long table, extending infinitely, covered with the best meal. It brings to mind the last scene from ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ where the Grinch is cutting the ham for all the Whoville’s. I see God in the same light—an intentional and caring Father, eager to share a daily meal with us, extending a warm invitation with open arms and inviting us to engage as one family, even down to playing football together.

The phrase ‘The Table’ has been on mind for several months now. It consistently comes up in different writings and continues to be a reoccurring thought.

So, here we go.. let’s get into it.

In addition to the ‘Big House’ song, one of my other all-time favorite things to do is hosting dinner parties or any type of gathering. I love it. It gives me so much joy to host something and give a fun inviting experience to lifelong friends and/or friends I met that day or have never met.

I continue to tell my mom I got my hosting itch from her—she’s amazing at party planning and details, so naturally I learned and look up to her in many ways when it comes to décor and planning.

I bought my first ever dinner table this past August and I have never been so excited to get a piece of furniture. It is white, long, rectangle with bench seating. It’s perfect in every way.

With the holiday season coming up I thought of all the different gathering opportunities. A candlelit dinner in our backyard, a soup party, a gingerbread house building party, backyard movie projector night… you get the gist.. let’s just say my notes pad of ideas has been filling up and my Pinterest board has been exploding with pins. As I said before… I absolutely love it.

Multiple people have approached me this past year, asking how I enjoy and get filled up by hosting gatherings. It can be time consuming, expensive, a hassle and overwhelming—and I agree 100%. However, what consistently motivates me to do it over and over again is the chance to create a space for people to come gather together as one. The opportunity to sit with one another, witness such cool conversations and to just be in the presence of others. It’s a consistent theme seen so often in the Bible and exemplified by Jesus on numerous occasions.

When I had the opportunity to visit Israel this past March, we visited the place where Jesus had His last supper. I remember the room was upstairs—small, with a tiled floor, stone walls, and a plain design. A security guard was casually chillin in there with his monitor set up in the corner. There was a small plaque on the wall explaining what the place was and I remember standing there in awe to think that it was just a room. A room that changed history, that held joy, sorrow, betrayal, love… a room that celebrated the bread of life.

All throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament, you see numerous passages about gathering, eating, and feasting—at a table. One thing I have learned from reading the Bible is that when something is repeated, it means something.

Luke 5: Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners.

Luke 9: Jesus fed the five thousand.

Luke 10: Jesus ate with Mary and Martha.

Luke 14: Jesus sat and ate at the Pharisee’s house.

Luke 19: Jesus ate with sinners and outcasts at Zacchaeus’s house.

Luke 22: Jesus gathered around a table for the Last Supper.

Matthew 11:19 says, “The Son of Man came eating and drinking”. He knew there was something special about gathering at a table.

Think of board meetings, networking events, birthday parties, big decisions, life conversations, coffee dates, interviews and more.. they all have one thing in common—a table.

Jesus used the most basic, ordinary and daily activity of eating a meal as a vital tool used for His ministry. He calls us to come and sit at His table to do the most basic, daily thing.. to taste the bread of life and sit with Him. And to think that we get to have the same opportunity to practice that hospitality!

Let’s quickly explain the “Bread of Life”. John 6:35 “Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever come to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty”. John 6:51 “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” John 6:48 “I am the bread of life.”

Boom. Mic drop.

We live in a world so thirsty for more—to have the next best thing, to have the new beauty product, the latest Nike Jordans, the current fashion trend, the new Red Bull limited flavor, the seasonal Lucky Goat peppermint oat milk mocha latte.. the next _____. We are constantly searching for more things to fill the hole in our hearts that only Jesus can satisfy.

The band One Voice INT released a new album this year called ‘The Table,’ with a song called ‘The Table’. Figures ;) Spotify yearly wrapped comes out soon and I just have this feeling this song will be up in the rankings (which I now know it did).

Come you sinner

Come you weary

Come you broken hearted

Come you lost

Come you rejected

Bring your heavy burdens

Come to the table

He’s saying come

He’s Calling you home

Right at the feet of Jesus

Lay your troubles down

Come to the table

He literally calls us to just come. He invites us to taste the bread of life. Similar to the songs shared, there’s a big big table with a seat for you and your baggage—you are welcome to the table.

He LOVES you, He WANTS you, He SEES you, and He CALLS you to His never-failing, always-present, unconditional loving table with YOUR name on it.

On Mondays, my friend Nicole and I have the opportunity to lead a group of women in a Bible study. As a fun pre-Thanksgiving activity, we hosted a backyard candlelit potluck dinner. It was so special—I had to pinch myself because it was so dreamy. But what really made me tear up was the fact that Jesus did the same thing with His disciples, His friends, His family, and we get to practice that not only as a backyard candlelit dinner but daily.

So as we go into the Advent season, celebrating the birth of our Savior, it’s our turn to embody His character. In 1 Corinthians 12:27, Paul writes, ‘Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.’ Each of us plays a role in fulfilling the mission on earth—showing love, compassion, serving others, welcoming strangers, sitting and eating with all kinds of people... Why wait?

As followers of Christ, we have a mission to uphold, and He gives us the strength to pursue it, but we have to come to the table first.

Many of you have probably seen on my Instagram as I often repost his writings, there's this guy from Bridge Church Tennessee who shares some powerful things. I want to leave you with a quote from one of his posts: 'And we remember that the Table of Jesus is not for the worthy, but for the hungry. There is room for you.'

After two years of not writing, I have been nervous to post blogs but so excited to share these thoughts that the Lord put on my heart.

Stay rad y’all,

Cay :)