A Feast

Yesterday we reflected on the words of the prophet Isaiah (25:1-9): On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast…

This is a vision that describes the gathering of God’s people around a table… It is an invitation. And, if it is an invitation, then it is first an invitation to gather around the table and celebrate and remember the past.

When this part of Isaiah was written, there was tremendous desperation and need. Israel had been beaten down by their enemies over many years. Just a few verses back, Isaiah had invited the gathered community to remember. He writes: God you have been a refuge to the poor… a refuge to the needy in their distress; a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat.

When you are in the middle of great need, it is sometimes hard to remember those times when God has carried you through in the past. In the midst of those times, it is hard to remember the blessings you already have. Yet those are exactly the times when remembering is essential.

It is often as we gather around tables that we remember…

I think about a wedding reception I attended recently. As we sat around the tables, oh the stories… Do you remember her third birthday? Do you remember when he and his cousins used to run around? Did you hear how they met? Let me tell you…

And after a recent memorial service, our deacons laid out quite a spread. The stories about her were so rich… Someone told me that on the very last Sunday, she attended church, they asked her, “Are you staying out of trouble, Ruth?” She said, “If I could figure out any way to get into trouble, you know I would!” 97 years old…

At the table, we remember… And, it’s not just the good stories we remember. We remember overcoming adversity and hardship. We remember God’s hand at work in our lives. We remember our blessings: This time together is a gift. You are a gift. The food before us… the hands we hold… the grace we share… the fact that we are still together… We’ve really been through it… but God is faithful.

On this coming Thanksgiving Day, again, I invite you to pause with those around you to acknowledge the beauty and the gift of the moment. Remember and celebrate the past. Remember that God is present – even now.

Let us pray: Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest, in our homes and churches and around our tables. And open our eyes to your presence, even here, even now. Amen.