Incarnation's Open Table

The Church of the Incarnation has a remarkable ministry called "The Open Table" on Sundays.

I’ve had the privilege the last couple of weeks of being here early enough to see it.

Dozens and dozens of people who live on the streets come through our doors to get breakfast. They come early and are gone before our worship begins.

I am hugely inspired by the commitment and outpouring of love by our volunteers who feed people every Sunday morning.

Many of the people who walk through our doors are struggling to get by, one day at a time. Some have worn the same clothes for days on end. Some have mental health issues, and some are down on their luck. What would Jesus do?

Feed them.

Somehow there is enough food for all. God provides.

I also know that managing the crowd presents challenges for our volunteers. There are some edgy people who walk through our doors. There are risks involved in this effort and it takes creativity – and courage – to meet these challenges.

Yet here is one thing to remember: By feeding people, we are surrounding hate with love and forcing it to surrender. We are showing this community a different way to live than greed and selfishness.

This church is a beacon of hope and love to this community and the world beyond, and that is worth celebrating and strengthening.

At some point, we also need to ask why so many people live on our streets. What is missing in our larger society that causes so many people to have nowhere else to go? Why does the city of Santa Rosa seem so indifferent?

And what is our role as a church in changing the structures that cause poverty and leave people living on the streets without decent care for their bodies and minds?

I was once asked the difference between ministries of mercy and ministries of social justice. Think of this as like a river. When you see someone drowning in the river, you pull them out. That is a ministry of mercy, like Open Table.

But at some point, we need to walk up the river and find out why people are falling in the river. Who, or what, is pushing them in? That is the ministry of social justice. We need to walk up the river in Santa Rosa. We may not like what we see, but we need to go there.

Welcome to the Table at Emmaus!

This is my new blog, marking the opening a new chapter in my life and ministry. Some of you might Fiat Lux, which I used for conversation when I was rector of St. Paul's Memorial Church in Charlottesville, Virginia for seven years.

Fiat Lux was a great way for folks to get to know me, and for all of us to know each other.
be familiar with my blog

Soon, we will be heading across the prairie for a new position, at the Church of the Incarnation in Santa Rosa, California. It seems like a good time to open a new blog for the new journey. So whether you are from Charlottesville or Santa Rosa, or somewhere in between, welcome to this blog.

Why a table? Why Emmaus?

For those unfamiliar with the story in Luke 24: 13-35, two disciples are on the road to a town, Emmaus, which many think was a Roman army hospital camp outside of Jerusalem. The disciples are disheartened – Jesus had recently been crucified.

Along the way, they meet a stranger who enlightens them about Scriptures and many other things. When they reach Emmaus, they invite him to dinner. When he breaks the bread, they realize they are dining with Jesus.

It took breaking bread – sharing a meal – for these followers of Jesus to realize he had been with them all along. There is something about sharing a meal, being at table, that opens eyes and ears in ways that are remarkable.

So I'd like you to think of this space as an open table, and not just with each other, but with the Holy One who is always with us. Let's share a meal, get to know each other, have a conversation, and watch and listen for the holiness that is surrounding us.

I hope we will talk about many things here. An open table suggests an open conversation – and a respectful conversation. We might talk about God or we might talk about baseball, and certainly we will talk about food. We might even ask my wife Lori to contribute once in awhile on culinary subjects. Let's see where this goes, but let's also do something out of the ordinary on the internet – let's take care of each other, respect each other's viewpoints, and learn from each other.

By the way, the photo above was taken by Lori during our pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2011. The photo show me walking on an old Roman road in the suburbs of Jerusalem. A number of archeologists believe this was the road to Emmaus that the disciples and Jesus walked.

In the days ahead, I will post my reflections, a picture or two, and keep you posted about our journey.

Welcome to the open table!