Open Table

Including and inviting others (especially strangers) to the places you eat, drink, and celebrate.

Jesus excludes no one around His table–He pulls up a stool with crooks and prostitutes and then goes and sits at the table with religious elites. There is profound spiritual power at work when we give others a seat at our table and when we are willing to take a seat at theirs.

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Clark & Tina’s Story

We invite people over a lot—we both happen to have the gift of hospitality.  Though it’s almost always Clark’s initiative. Last fall there was a couple sitting behind us at CPC, and Clark leaned over and said, “Look at that cute young couple.” After church, we started talking to Elan and West. Clark said to me, “Hey, let’s invite them over for lunch.” And I thought, Are you kidding me? We had just moved and had unpacked boxes everywhere. But Clark made the invitation, and they followed us home. They stayed for hours, just chatting.

I love to entertain fancy, with china and crystal and stuff, but we don’t do much of that anymore. You have to plan ahead, and we’re not good at that right now. I’ve found your house doesn’t have to be fancy. It doesn’t have to be decorated. That’s everybody’s excuse! Our time with West and Elan is a perfect example: We literally had boxes people had to walk between.

We see them at church and talk with them a lot. They’re our kids’ age, and they’re our friends! Last week when we saw them at church, they told us they’d just bought a house, then said, “We can’t wait to have you over!”