all are welcome .. none are excluded .. come to the table

i live in new surroundings
and am blessed by being part of a church
where i can sense the reality of God among us
strong
like the smell of a dark coffee
or the smell of a rose when i stick my nose right in it
... . . .   .

that may well sound strange ..
i'm struggling for words to describe it

i've done church since before i was 10 years old
i've been an active member of a particular church since then
i've attended 2 christian universities
   briefly
both very Fundamentalist
the very heart of Fundamentalism

i've spent much of my life chasing after ' the church that Jesus built ' ..
i was positive i'd found it ..
i was wrong ..

(sorry for all the " i's " ; this one is very personal)

i've relinquished my association with the title/category ' protestant '
i've done the same with
' evangelical '
' fundamentalist '
' christian ' ..

                         just writing that is wild ..

i now classify myself as a follower of Jesus
a follower of the Way of Jesus
a disciple of Jesus

there is too much tiresome awful reprehensible damage attached to those titles ..
i want not to be associated with any of them

the local church i am now a part of has a name
but it doesn't matter

i find me in the midst of loving hearts
people that open themselves
in acceptance and embracing and ' all are welcome '
people that share
that care

and i am blessed

selah ..~

this is not to diss' the ones that went before ..
there is much i learned there
and there is much good there
but i found the system to be burdensome
They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders ..

selah ..~

there's a reason for that lead in
i carry a 'burden' of my own
a remnant of that system
and i find wonderful release
   almost indescribable
among the church i am now a part of ..
.. . . .. . . ...    .

after the music
after the word to the children
after the pastor leads the discussion
there is the circle
   a time of joining hands
   praising God for the things he has blessed us with
      as individuals
   praying to God for the things that concern us
      as individuals ..
it's a time of sharing ourselves with each other
as openly as we dare ..
after each share there is this comment/response
   " God is good "
   " all the time " ..
it just feels so right ..

and then ..
there is the ' Lord's table "
and that is the point of this post ..
   finally . ... .

selah ..~

there are 2 characteristics of fundamentalism that bother me
militant
separatist
..

this church stands in opposition to both
not militantly
but practically
as part of its lifestyle
.... . ...... ..... .

standing before the bread and the wine
the pastor leads in with some thoughtful thoughts ..
i wish i had recorded them all ..
they astound me in their simplicity acceptance grace love ..
i am absolutely blessed
i am blessed

and by the time he reaches for the loaf to break it
i am already ready
open
blessed to be a part
blessed to be privileged by Jesus to share
in unity
as one Body
and
all
are
welcome

" come home "
" come to the table "
" all are welcome "

and i am blown away

all my burdens are released
they lie somewhere behind me on the floor in some dark corner
and i am free
released
open
as one
with the others
with Jesus
with God
as one

i am at rest ..

every one of the 6 times
i have been blessed
and this blessedness will not leave me
it hangs around
it envelopes me
it embraces me
... ... . . .

i see all
as in every one
   rich and poor
   housed and homeless
   youth and aged
   in health and unwell
   white and coloured
all
approach ..
" come to the table; all are welcome " ..
and the ladies offer the bread
" this is the body of the Lord, broken for you "
and the ' wine '
" this is the blood of the Lord, shed for you, for the remission of sin "
and i am humbled
at rest
unburdened
privileged
blessed ..

i walk to the front to a plate of candles
and light one
sometimes replace it
sometimes not
   i take it with me to the floor
   sit
   stare at the flame
   pray
   facing the table of candles and the glass cross ..

blessed

i am blessed ..
thanks be to God ..

selah ..~

so why is this such a huge deal to me  ?

They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders ..
... .

i have spent much of my life in theological think

my previous experiences with the Lord's supper
for the most part
left me melancholy

i am an introvert
quite introspective
when you throw stuff out there
i stand up to get hit
square in the face ...
i take these things very seriously

exclusion
at the Lord's table
takes 2 forms
first - if you're not a 'christian'
second - if you have ' unconfessed sin in your life '

exclusion
separatist
cutoff
left out
" you are not allowed " ..

" you are not welcome here "

selah ..~

i've searched scripture
poured over it
reviewed the passages every time i sit at Lord's Supper
and for the life of me i cannot find the grounds for exclusion

in fact
the whole point of the ordinance
is unity
absolutely
oneness

i have declined many times
i have walked out many times
head hung
in shame

i would not allow my self to join in ..
i was unworthy

and whenever i did participate
there was this nagging guilt hanging around
like some ill smell in the air ..
i was unworthy
...

tell me
have you ever thought of the truth
that Jesus sat there and enjoyed a meal
his last supper with his disciples ..
and Judas was there
the man who would betray him ..
and he offered his betrayer the bread and the cup
and he did it with love overflowing
poring out of that very bread and wine ..

in fact
every retelling of the occurrence
leads in with his betrayal ...

wild, that ..

On the night he was betrayed the Lord Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and said, “This is My body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me."
   apostle paul's version ..
the gospels relate it in similar fashion
and having said that
he offers it to Judas ..

and Jesus washed Judas' feet to boot ...

selah ..~

They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders ..

selah ..~

my friend
whoever you are
wherever you are

Jesus loves you
tremendously
you are the apple of his heart
he has gone the distance for you
done deal

step up to the table
burdens back there
conscience freed
for Jesus has done the deed
redeemed mankind from the curse
opened the doors for all to come in

and you my friend
are welcome

come to the table

in Jesus' name


shalom