Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved. (Acts 2: 46-47)
The Yorkshire West Methodist Circuit has developed a resource pack for churches to use during Lent.
They say…
By using this resource, we are hoping to encourage you to meet around a table, where you might: extend a welcome to others. offer hospitality. be radically inclusive. come to understand afresh the power of meeting around a table. notice what happens when we meet in different ways as Church. This pack is filled with ideas and guidance, liturgies and prayer resources to enable you to try something new, which suits you and your context well, as you travel through Lent. We hope that you will consider first and foremost what your table gathering will look like. One way or another, most gatherings will probably be in the form of a community meal: however big or small the menu is, however many or few are gathered, we hope that you will be inviting people along, sharing food and drink together, and that, in doing so, you’ll be engaging in deep prayer and reflection about your community, and the goodness of God.
WHY MEET AROUND THE TABLE? The verses above from Acts chapter 2 are probably quite familiar to you. They describe how the earliest gatherings of the Christian church happened – Christ followers not only attending the temple, but also spending time together daily, sharing food, and welcoming others in. Gathering for food and fellowship, and extending hospitality to all is well evidenced in scripture, and in various ways throughout Christian tradition, though perhaps it’s not something we do as much of now as an intentional expression of faith and fellowship on a regular basis. Page 6 When we meet around the table, whether as part of the sacrament of Holy Communion, or for shared food in some other way, we are invited to address the needs of our bodies, and our spiritual needs too; we come into a space where knowledge, understanding and experience are set to one side and the needs of all are considered equal; and we are challenged to serve others and be served by others, finding blessing in both. This Lent, we are inviting you to meet around a table that is not the communion table (though we hope you carry on meeting there too!), but a table where food and fellowship are shared, where prayers and possibilities are uttered, and where together with those known and not yet known by you, the love of God is expressed and explored.
WHY SUSANNA’S TABLE? We’re taking inspiration from Susanna Wesley’s well worn table, which was the centre of the household. Whether feeding the family or encouraging them in devotions, or being the place of developing learning and discipleship for her family and the wider community, this table was not one of abundant food provision, but abundant care and attention paid. She was the mother in an impoverished family, a meditative disciple, and a powerful Christ-centred witness to the wider community. You may already know that Susanna’s Table is a project in development, and one which envisages building communities around tables in a much broader and longer lasting iteration than a Lent programme. But we hope that this encouragement to gather at the table this Lent will be one which inspires thought and prayer for what we might be called to explore next as disciples and witnesses in our communities. Of course the table is both a physical symbol and a vision of the hospitality of heaven.
Denby Dale, Clayton West, Lower Cumberworth and Skelmanthorpe churches have already planned some dates to meet together around the table and use both the resources in the pack and the additional “Soul food” lent resource provided on the Methodist Church Website. Lent 2025 campaign – Soul Food – The Methodist Church
We encourage other churches in the circuit to make use of these resources and get together around the table throughout the Lenten period. There is money available from a District grant to cover the cost of food and drink and Anna has physical copies of the Susanna’s Table resource booklet plus other resources from the District in the circuit office if anyone should require them.