Join us for Sabbath dinner this week

What can I expect at Sabbath dinner?

We’re a multi-cultural, multi-generational community seeking Jesus. We believe that in God’s family there is amazing beauty in diversity.

Some of us have struggled to fit into a traditional model of church, others are looking for a place to ask questions with friends, some are wanting a group to share rhythms with. We seek to embrace each other as Christ, wherever we’re at.

People arrive around 6:30

Front door, back door, any door you choose! All are welcome. We love getting to catch up with each other and meet new friends while putting the final touches on the meal.

We center our hearts in prayer

Slowing down as we head into the weekend, we take time to thank God for the ways He has shown Himself to be present with us throughout the week and invite him to our time with a simple liturgy:

Jesus, we welcome You to this Sabbath meal,
receiving each friend here tonight as Christ.
Help us to practice true hospitality around this table.

In humility, may we see each other as equal,
meeting Your gaze in eyes around the room.
In trust, may we believe that at this table there is abundant space,
laying down our tendencies to dominate or to disappear.
In vulnerability, may we ask for what we need,
receiving generous offer from whoever has much to share.
In maturing, may we learn to balance all these things,
as You did so brilliantly.

Bless this food that we are about to eat,
and if there be anyone, hungry or thirsty, walking along the road,
send them into us that we can share this meal with them,
just as You share Your gifts with all of us.

Amen.

We eat good food and drink good wine

We thank God for the fruit of the fields, labor of the hands, and provision of the meal. And we dig in, catching up on all the life that has been lived in the last week.

Sometimes we use table topics from Practicing the Way’s Sabbath Practice. Other times we share a high, a low, and something we’re really into at the moment. Whatever the format, we work toward honoring and embracing where each person is at.

We celebrate our unity in Jesus through communion

Each of us comes from different backgrounds and traditions—question-askers, recovering Christians, Lutherans, Baptists, Catholics, Charismatics…the list goes on. But when we commit to moving toward Jesus at the center of our lives and our relationships, we can experience the unity Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 and Ephesians 4:1-6. We spend time intentionally celebrating that we all belong to Jesus even when we don’t see everything the same way.

We wrap up and eat dessert together

Sometimes followed by a competitive yard game like Kubb, we love a slow, drawn-out evening of friendship together.