published: Sunday, June 07, 2009

Come to the table

"There!" I said to myself as I looked over the place settings for the morning's breakfast. "That's just right."

Our guests had come to us through a Christian travel club we belong to and I wanted to make their stay as nice as we have experienced in the homes of other members.

I enjoy cooking, being creative and delight in the presentation of food whether for ourselves or company. My husband, Ken, and I both enjoy hospitality. So, being hosts with this travel club - though new to us - is great.

In the evening before bed, I set the table with the dishes, cups, and glasses that will most enhance the food I'll serve in the morning. As our guests emerge from the guest room - refreshed from a good night's sleep - the aromas and the welcoming table beckons them to nourish their awaking appetites.

While the food and company nourish us physically and emotionally, the Christian camaraderie connects us on a spiritual level - unique to the Christian experience.

Even before we get to know one another, we feel a connection. As we "break bread" together, it is natural to share our love for the Lord and speak of his goodness - exchanging stories, hopes and dreams with one another.

The reason we connect is because each of us has already come to another table and been fed.

We have come to the feast of God's Word, the Bible, been fed bountifully at his table and quenched our thirst with his living water. God's Word is like having a four-course meal. The Bible is likened to milk, bread, solid, food and sweet dessert.

One passage in I Peter 2:2-3, NIV, puts it like this, "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good."

In other words, by God's grace, we as individuals have taken the step in faith to become followers of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit then indwells God's children and we are part of his family.

That family connection is recognizable almost immediately.

Then as we visit and share, we take the nourishment we have received from his Word and intermingle it in our conversation. Now the physical food on the table pales in comparison to the spiritual nourishment that accompanies it and lifts our spirits.

So, come to the table of God's Word and fill your hungry soul with spiritual food that is satisfying, fulfilling and essential for eternal life. Selah