Sunday's Sermon ~ 09.01.19 |
The Very Rev. Randi Hicks Rowe
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I pray to God in whom I live and move and have my being. I pray that we may at all times keep our minds open to new ideas and shun dogma; that we may grow in our understanding of the nature of all living beings and our connectedness with the natural world; that we may become ever more filled with generosity of spirit and true compassion and love for all life; that …we may value each and every human being for who he is, for who she is, reaching to the spirit that is within, knowing the power of each individual to change the world.[i]
Amen
Today we are going to talk about table manners. We all learn table manners. We learn not to chew with our mouth open, not to slurp the soup – at least when dining in public -- and to make sure everyone has firsts before we get seconds. We may even have had training about which utensil to use for which course or how to eat with our fork prongs down when we are in Europe.
We’ve probably also learned that when we go to a formal dinner, for example, like one after a wedding, that we look for our place card on the table so that we know where the host and hostess would like us to sit.
Jewish communities in first century Rome had table manners too, or at least customs. Unfortunately these customs were more about honoring oneself then about doing what was courteous to others. Dinners were important occasions that were used to cement social relations. When someone received an invitation to dinner, he waited to see whether the “right” people were coming before he accepted. Accepting also obligated him to issue a similar invitation to the host in the near future – so those who weren’t sure they could reciprocate declined invitations. Table fellowship across social classes was highly unusual. Who sat where at each meal was also an important statement about social relations and discriminatory seating was well known in those times.[ii] The poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind would never have been invited to a meal with Pharisees; in fact, they were not even allowed to be full members of some Jewish communities.
Now for Jesus, meals were times for celebration and inclusive fellowship– a stark contrast to this cultural picture. Meals Jesus hosted foreshadowed the heavenly banquet to which everyone is invited. The Eucharistic meal that we share every week is one that Jesus hosts. It also foreshadows that heavenly banquet.
As followers of Jesus we are not only called but commanded to invite everyone to this Table we share and to treat them equally. We called to avoid treating one better than the other because one is more like us. We are called to treat everyone the same regardless of how long they’ve been members or how much money they have. We don’t practice discriminatory seating literally through claiming “our seats” and being mad if someone sits in them. We don’t practice discriminatory seating figuratively by being nicer to one person than the other. We are also called to go out and invite everyone to this Table – those who are our friends and family but especially those who have great needs, those who don’t fit easily into other communities. We are called to do this because we are inviting them to a table where Jesus is the host – a table of celebration and inclusiveness.
Rectangular tables allow someone to sit at the head. Lines allow someone to be at the beginning and not the end. Circles and circular tables place everyone on equal footing.
Just for today, I am going to ask us to do something at Communion to help us remember this key point – that everyone is welcome and equal at Jesus’s table. Instead of having us come up to the altar rail for Communion, I am going to ask that after I bless the bread and wine that all of us begin to form a circle. Make it as big as you need to include everyone, but put part of the circle in one of the pews so that those who can’t stand for very long can sit. I would ask that you also leave a space in the circle for me and the lay Eucharistic minister because we will be part of you as well – all equals. Then we will pass the bread to each other, followed by the wine. After that we will say the prayer and have the blessing. We will go back to our seats to stand for the closing hymn.
Jesus calls us to include everyone at his table – and to especially seek out those who need the most help. Jesus calls us to new table manners.
[i] Adapted from a prayer written by Jane Goodall, Ethnologist, The Jane Goodall Institute, Sandy Spring, Maryland.
[ii] Malina, B. J., & Rohrbaugh, R. L. (2003). Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels (Second Edition, p. 286). Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press.
Amen
Today we are going to talk about table manners. We all learn table manners. We learn not to chew with our mouth open, not to slurp the soup – at least when dining in public -- and to make sure everyone has firsts before we get seconds. We may even have had training about which utensil to use for which course or how to eat with our fork prongs down when we are in Europe.
We’ve probably also learned that when we go to a formal dinner, for example, like one after a wedding, that we look for our place card on the table so that we know where the host and hostess would like us to sit.
Jewish communities in first century Rome had table manners too, or at least customs. Unfortunately these customs were more about honoring oneself then about doing what was courteous to others. Dinners were important occasions that were used to cement social relations. When someone received an invitation to dinner, he waited to see whether the “right” people were coming before he accepted. Accepting also obligated him to issue a similar invitation to the host in the near future – so those who weren’t sure they could reciprocate declined invitations. Table fellowship across social classes was highly unusual. Who sat where at each meal was also an important statement about social relations and discriminatory seating was well known in those times.[ii] The poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind would never have been invited to a meal with Pharisees; in fact, they were not even allowed to be full members of some Jewish communities.
Now for Jesus, meals were times for celebration and inclusive fellowship– a stark contrast to this cultural picture. Meals Jesus hosted foreshadowed the heavenly banquet to which everyone is invited. The Eucharistic meal that we share every week is one that Jesus hosts. It also foreshadows that heavenly banquet.
As followers of Jesus we are not only called but commanded to invite everyone to this Table we share and to treat them equally. We called to avoid treating one better than the other because one is more like us. We are called to treat everyone the same regardless of how long they’ve been members or how much money they have. We don’t practice discriminatory seating literally through claiming “our seats” and being mad if someone sits in them. We don’t practice discriminatory seating figuratively by being nicer to one person than the other. We are also called to go out and invite everyone to this Table – those who are our friends and family but especially those who have great needs, those who don’t fit easily into other communities. We are called to do this because we are inviting them to a table where Jesus is the host – a table of celebration and inclusiveness.
Rectangular tables allow someone to sit at the head. Lines allow someone to be at the beginning and not the end. Circles and circular tables place everyone on equal footing.
Just for today, I am going to ask us to do something at Communion to help us remember this key point – that everyone is welcome and equal at Jesus’s table. Instead of having us come up to the altar rail for Communion, I am going to ask that after I bless the bread and wine that all of us begin to form a circle. Make it as big as you need to include everyone, but put part of the circle in one of the pews so that those who can’t stand for very long can sit. I would ask that you also leave a space in the circle for me and the lay Eucharistic minister because we will be part of you as well – all equals. Then we will pass the bread to each other, followed by the wine. After that we will say the prayer and have the blessing. We will go back to our seats to stand for the closing hymn.
Jesus calls us to include everyone at his table – and to especially seek out those who need the most help. Jesus calls us to new table manners.
[i] Adapted from a prayer written by Jane Goodall, Ethnologist, The Jane Goodall Institute, Sandy Spring, Maryland.
[ii] Malina, B. J., & Rohrbaugh, R. L. (2003). Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels (Second Edition, p. 286). Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press.
2019
Sermon Archive
~ St. Andrew's seeks to share the unconditional love of God ~
Sunday Service: 10:45 am Sunday School: 10:30
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Wilson-Burt & West Creek Roads, Burt, New York 14028
Our Vision for 2019: Sharing God's Love
1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins...
Sunday Service: 10:45 am Sunday School: 10:30
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Wilson-Burt & West Creek Roads, Burt, New York 14028
Our Vision for 2019: Sharing God's Love
1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins...
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updated 09.22.19
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