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Table Talk: Rethinking Communion and Community
For nearly two thousand years followers of Jesus have gathered in churches to eat a meal called Communion in his memory. In Table Talk, Mike Graves claims if we could travel back to those earliest Christian gatherings, we would realize we are not just two thousand years removed; we are light-years removed from how they ate when gathered because eating was why they gathered in the first place, a kind of first-century dinner party. Four characteristics of their Communion practices would leap out at us, traits that are scattered throughout the New Testament, but that often go how the meal was part of a full evening together, promoting intimacy; how it was a mostly inclusive affair, everyone welcome at the table; how it was typically festive, more like a dinner party; and how afterwards they enjoyed a lively conversation on a host of topics. But Table Talk explores more than just Communion practices, because a new way of doing church is happening around the world, gatherings more horizontal than vertical. For two thousand years Christians have oriented themselves toward God in the presence of others; now a growing number of congregations, part of the dinner church movement, are orienting themselves toward each other in the presence of God. This book tells their story and helps us rethink our own.
- GenresReligion
176 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 30, 2017
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December 11, 2017
The denomination to which I belong practices weekly communion. I'm not sure if everyone is an agreement as to why, but it seems as if most members of Disciples of Christ churches, especially those who have always been Disciples, cannot conceive of church without communion being eaten on a weekly basis. The question has always been -- what happens in communion. Why gather at the Table, and are our practices sufficient. On any given Sunday we might share a morsel of bread, whether wafer or actual bread, along with a thimble-sized cup of juice. We often do so solemnly, remembering that Jesus died for our sins. The moment is somber and quiet, perhaps with the organ accompanying our meditation. Such is the nature of communion in most of our churches. But is this the biblical patttern, and might we observe the sacrament in a different manner?
Mike Graves is a professor preaching and worship, and a Disciple minister. When I first met Mike some twenty years ago, he was a Baptist minister and professor. As time passed, Mike came to see the Lord's Supper as a central act of worship, and eventually moved from Baptist to Disciple. While that move allowed Mike to experience weekly communion, that apparently wasn't enough. As he dug deeper into the sacrament and its meaning and practice, he discovered that this morsel of bread and thimble sized cup of juice was a far cry from what the early Christians likely experienced when they gathered at the Table. He also discovered that this memorialist emphasis might not be the only way of understanding the Table. That led him to start reading about ancient dining practices, and looked for connections in the biblical text. At the same time, Mike discovered a new movement of churches focused on gathering at Tables for worship, fellowship, and conversation -- much like the descriptions he was finding in historical texts. Might this Dinner Church movement offer a new avenue into Christian worship?
Mike has written an intriguing text that invites us to rethink communion and community. He notes
the intimacy of Table and ponders whether this is something we might want to explore and even restore. He notes that from his research, it appears that early Christians generally met for meals. While modern "congregations might gather for a social meal in the fellowship hall every once in a while, but this was their normal way of gathering, and the main reason' (p. 3). Mike suggests that when the early Christians gathered, they shared a full meal, which was mostly inclusive (including gender and soci0-economic status), it was festive, and it included lively conversation (over wine). In other words, these were an equivalent of a dinner party.
The book has four basic chapters, each of which explores an element of this idea of communion and even church as dinner party. The first chapter focuses on the meal, which as he notes was a full meal. He suggests that it might have followed the pattern of Graeco-Roman meals that included food and then conversation, with guests seated on couches. Moving us forward, Mike introduces us to differing expressions of what is known as the Dinner Church Movement.
The second chapter focuses on the guest list. This chapter is key, because it raises questions about who is invited. We know that by the second century the meal had become more abbreviated, and that it was limited to those who were fully initiated through baptism. But were these earliest meals so circumscribed, or was the guest list much broader? Since I am an advocate of an open table, following the practice of Jesus, this is an important question. In fact, it's a theological question. It's more than simply being nice and not wanting to offend possible guests. Instead it is a recognition that Jesus was not too concerned about who broke bread with him, and perhaps we should think more broadly ourselves. One of the texts he appeals to is Paul's last meal with the soldiers and prisoners and crew of the ship upon which he was sailing to Rome, a ship soon to experience shipwreck. Mike notes the Eucharistic elements of Paul's prayer as he gathered all together for a last meal. It was inclusive all, without making any religious requirements. I hadn't thought of this passage in this way before, but I find it compelling. Mike then offers some examples of how this works in contemporary situations.
The third chapter is titled ambiance. Here he focuses on the joyous nature of the feast. He introduces to the Greek terms euphrosyne, which is translated as "festive joy." This describes, he suggests the mood of first century dinner parties, but is a mood that is rarely experienced in typical communion services, which he suggests tends to take on the ambiance of a baby's funeral. In this context he notes the presence of wine at these parities, suggesting that perhaps a bit of gentle intoxication wouldn't be the worst thing for worship. But maybe the place to start would be the music, much of which is rather somber, even dirges. While I might find more than ten joyous communion songs in the Chalice Hymnal (out of the forty or so included), I agree that much of the communion music has memorialistic feel. What Mike wants us to consider is finding ways of introducing joy to our communion celebrations. After all, this is an Easter faith, not just a Maundy Thursday faith.
The fourth chapter focuses on the conversation. In the ancient dinner parties, the meal was followed by either entertainment or structured conversation. As a professor of preaching, who enjoys preaching, he engages in a conversation about how preaching might be experienced in such a setting. He notes that whatever form it takes, somewhere in the course of this experience there will be some place for conversation and participation. He offers some suggestions as to how this might take place, even in the context of current worship patterns. At the same time, he notes that movement toward such an experience will necessitate rethinking the way we worship.
This is a most thought provoking book that raises questions about worship and our experience of church. There are examples of congregations built around such a vision. This might not be practical for all congregations, but places could be found within the experience of the congregation to offer such experiences, perhaps in small groups or alternative worship times and places. Mike is on staff of one of the largest Disciples churches, a church that has a fairly formal liturgy. With Mike's guidance, however, they have provided some alternative experiences. That might be the way forward for many congregations. Nonetheless, even if we don't reintroduce a full meal, we can be more intentional about the guest list and the ambiance. We might think of ways of broadening the participation in the conversation.
The conclusion of the book is titled RSVP. Mike uses the story of Jesus appearance on the way to Emmaus to extend three invitations. One is focused on the past (looking back at ancient practices), the second focused on the present (exploring the example of the dinner church movement), and future -- asking how the church in the future might exist, how might we encounter Jesus in the breaking of bread in the years ahead?
Mike offers us an invitation to consider another way of being church. He offers examples of how this might take place. We discover there is not just one way of doing this. The book is not a step-by-step guide. Instead it is an introduction that raises the conversation. As Mike notes at the end of the book, he has lover's quarrel with the church. There is much about the traditional forms that he enjoys, but he's also aware of the need to think more broadly. This is very helpful. As a "high church" Disciple who enjoys liturgy, and would like our liturgy to be a bit more orderly and reflective of tradition, I'm also one who seeks to be inclusive in the guest list. So Mike has done us a great favor here, even if we don't jump into Dinner Church, we can be more intentional about how we understand and practice Communion/Eucharist/Lord's Supper.
Mike Graves is a professor preaching and worship, and a Disciple minister. When I first met Mike some twenty years ago, he was a Baptist minister and professor. As time passed, Mike came to see the Lord's Supper as a central act of worship, and eventually moved from Baptist to Disciple. While that move allowed Mike to experience weekly communion, that apparently wasn't enough. As he dug deeper into the sacrament and its meaning and practice, he discovered that this morsel of bread and thimble sized cup of juice was a far cry from what the early Christians likely experienced when they gathered at the Table. He also discovered that this memorialist emphasis might not be the only way of understanding the Table. That led him to start reading about ancient dining practices, and looked for connections in the biblical text. At the same time, Mike discovered a new movement of churches focused on gathering at Tables for worship, fellowship, and conversation -- much like the descriptions he was finding in historical texts. Might this Dinner Church movement offer a new avenue into Christian worship?
Mike has written an intriguing text that invites us to rethink communion and community. He notes
the intimacy of Table and ponders whether this is something we might want to explore and even restore. He notes that from his research, it appears that early Christians generally met for meals. While modern "congregations might gather for a social meal in the fellowship hall every once in a while, but this was their normal way of gathering, and the main reason' (p. 3). Mike suggests that when the early Christians gathered, they shared a full meal, which was mostly inclusive (including gender and soci0-economic status), it was festive, and it included lively conversation (over wine). In other words, these were an equivalent of a dinner party.
The book has four basic chapters, each of which explores an element of this idea of communion and even church as dinner party. The first chapter focuses on the meal, which as he notes was a full meal. He suggests that it might have followed the pattern of Graeco-Roman meals that included food and then conversation, with guests seated on couches. Moving us forward, Mike introduces us to differing expressions of what is known as the Dinner Church Movement.
The second chapter focuses on the guest list. This chapter is key, because it raises questions about who is invited. We know that by the second century the meal had become more abbreviated, and that it was limited to those who were fully initiated through baptism. But were these earliest meals so circumscribed, or was the guest list much broader? Since I am an advocate of an open table, following the practice of Jesus, this is an important question. In fact, it's a theological question. It's more than simply being nice and not wanting to offend possible guests. Instead it is a recognition that Jesus was not too concerned about who broke bread with him, and perhaps we should think more broadly ourselves. One of the texts he appeals to is Paul's last meal with the soldiers and prisoners and crew of the ship upon which he was sailing to Rome, a ship soon to experience shipwreck. Mike notes the Eucharistic elements of Paul's prayer as he gathered all together for a last meal. It was inclusive all, without making any religious requirements. I hadn't thought of this passage in this way before, but I find it compelling. Mike then offers some examples of how this works in contemporary situations.
The third chapter is titled ambiance. Here he focuses on the joyous nature of the feast. He introduces to the Greek terms euphrosyne, which is translated as "festive joy." This describes, he suggests the mood of first century dinner parties, but is a mood that is rarely experienced in typical communion services, which he suggests tends to take on the ambiance of a baby's funeral. In this context he notes the presence of wine at these parities, suggesting that perhaps a bit of gentle intoxication wouldn't be the worst thing for worship. But maybe the place to start would be the music, much of which is rather somber, even dirges. While I might find more than ten joyous communion songs in the Chalice Hymnal (out of the forty or so included), I agree that much of the communion music has memorialistic feel. What Mike wants us to consider is finding ways of introducing joy to our communion celebrations. After all, this is an Easter faith, not just a Maundy Thursday faith.
The fourth chapter focuses on the conversation. In the ancient dinner parties, the meal was followed by either entertainment or structured conversation. As a professor of preaching, who enjoys preaching, he engages in a conversation about how preaching might be experienced in such a setting. He notes that whatever form it takes, somewhere in the course of this experience there will be some place for conversation and participation. He offers some suggestions as to how this might take place, even in the context of current worship patterns. At the same time, he notes that movement toward such an experience will necessitate rethinking the way we worship.
This is a most thought provoking book that raises questions about worship and our experience of church. There are examples of congregations built around such a vision. This might not be practical for all congregations, but places could be found within the experience of the congregation to offer such experiences, perhaps in small groups or alternative worship times and places. Mike is on staff of one of the largest Disciples churches, a church that has a fairly formal liturgy. With Mike's guidance, however, they have provided some alternative experiences. That might be the way forward for many congregations. Nonetheless, even if we don't reintroduce a full meal, we can be more intentional about the guest list and the ambiance. We might think of ways of broadening the participation in the conversation.
The conclusion of the book is titled RSVP. Mike uses the story of Jesus appearance on the way to Emmaus to extend three invitations. One is focused on the past (looking back at ancient practices), the second focused on the present (exploring the example of the dinner church movement), and future -- asking how the church in the future might exist, how might we encounter Jesus in the breaking of bread in the years ahead?
Mike offers us an invitation to consider another way of being church. He offers examples of how this might take place. We discover there is not just one way of doing this. The book is not a step-by-step guide. Instead it is an introduction that raises the conversation. As Mike notes at the end of the book, he has lover's quarrel with the church. There is much about the traditional forms that he enjoys, but he's also aware of the need to think more broadly. This is very helpful. As a "high church" Disciple who enjoys liturgy, and would like our liturgy to be a bit more orderly and reflective of tradition, I'm also one who seeks to be inclusive in the guest list. So Mike has done us a great favor here, even if we don't jump into Dinner Church, we can be more intentional about how we understand and practice Communion/Eucharist/Lord's Supper.
February 13, 2021
I really enjoyed this imaginative book that explores how much more creative our Eucharist celebrations could be. As a layperson who sometimes serves Eucharist at church, I really appreciate the fresh approach Graves brings in this book because it is one that opens not just the Table, but the serving at the Table, to more than just clergy. There are a lot of seeds here for imaginative and creative worship that I hope germinate in many places and produce fruitful churches and disciples who hunger after Jesus and who welcome all to the Table.
January 1, 2018
Wonderful historical overview of Eucharist and how far we have come (deviated?) from the original. A lot of food for thought...did you see what I did there?
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