We’re so grateful for the many people who helped welcome unhoused guests to The Table this week. We’ll now begin a new worship series called Life Together. The title of our series is taken from a book by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran pastor who led a resistance movement during the rise of Hitler and the Nazi regime. Worship over the next two months will invite and challenge us to consider what costly discipleship might look like at this moment in time. Worship will be rooted each week in a story from the Hebrew Bible, mostly from the prophets. Learnings from Bonhoeffer’s life and writings will also inspire our worship series. The prophet writes, “you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in” (Isaiah 58.12). We hope this series on Life Together will embolden us to follow in the ways of Isaiah as we seek to align our lives with the life of Jesus. We invite your photos of “Life Together” to be posted on social media and tagged #thetable as move into this series together.
Life Together Series Outline
January 8 Isaiah 42:1-9 Justice
January 15 Isaiah 49:1-7 Attention
January 22 Isaiah 9:1-4 Freedom
January 29 Micah 6:1-8 Controversy
February 5 Isaiah 58:1-12 Fix It
February 12 Deuteronomy 30:15-20 Life
February 19 Leviticus 19:1-18 Love
February 26 Isaiah 49:8-16 Compassion
Throughout this worship series we will turn each week to Lectio Divina in our weekly Kitchen Tables. Please lead yourself or a group through the Lectio Divina process on this week’s reading Isaiah 42:1-9 .The Lectio Divina process is outlined below. Outline of Lectio Divina Process
Lectio Divina requires a degree of quiet. Groups meeting in public will need to consider how to adapt this process for your contexts.
• First Reading (lectio) – Invite one person to slowly read the biblical passage as if it were a long awaited love letter addressed to them. As the first person reads, the Kitchen Table is simply invited to listen.
• Second Reading (lectio) – Allow a brief moment of silence and then have a second person read the same biblical text. Again, try to read slowly and expectantly. As the second person reads, the Kitchen Table is invited to notice a word or phrase that resonates, attracts or even disturbs.
• Expressing (oratio) – Allow for about a minute of silence after the reading and then invite everyone to share the word or phrase that attracted their attention. Please only share the word or phrase aloud. Do not expand on why the word or phrase attracted your attention.
• Third Reading (lectio) – When everyone has shared a word or phrase, have a third person read the same biblical text aloud. Invite your Kitchen Table to allow the image or phrase to sink in slowly and deeply during this third reading. Listen for what the word or phrase might have to offer you at this point in your life. Following the third reading, allow for 3-6 minutes of reflective silence (meditatio). During the reflective silence the Kitchen Table is encouraged to prayerfully consider how this word or phrase might relate to their lives. How does this word or phrase inspire you? How does it challenge you?
• Expressing (oratio) – When the reflective silence concludes, invite your Kitchen Table to share as openly and honestly as they are able about what thoughts, wonderings and learnings came to them. How does the word or phrase speak into your life? What questions do you have as a result of this prayerful reading? What challenges do you feel?
• Fourth Reading (lectio) – Once everyone has had an opportunity to share, if time allows, have a fourth person read the biblical text aloud. Invite your Kitchen Table to reflect on an intention they have for the week ahead in relationship to this biblical text.
• Expressing (oratio) – Invite your Kitchen Table to share their intentions aloud after the fourth reading is completed and a brief period of silence is held.
Lectio Divina requires practice. Please be patient & know that searching scripture in this devotional and prayerful way is a wonderful way to grow in faith.