By Bruce Smith
You may have seen the scene above in the church narthex. It is a batik, an intricate painting method that uses wax, dying and boiling to produce the desired design. Jeanne and I spotted this near the rafters of a “tourist trap” in Kenya at the end of one of our trips. We were struck both by the dramatic color and the quite different depiction of the Last Supper. We were intrigued that its disciples seemed to resemble the real disciples more than our Sunday School versions. We also liked the greater sense that it was a real meal in which folks had been eating and talking. Studying it, however, we can have no doubt that chitchat has stopped and all are paying careful attention to Jesus.
At this First Communion, or Last Supper as it’s generally known, Jesus opened the table to his most beloved companions who included a questioning doubter, a couple societal rejects, the man who was about to betray him and Peter who would deny him within hours. It was quite a crew and one of the reasons the realism and even scruffiness of the disciples in the batik attracted me. Not only were they imperfect but there was quite a diversity from fishermen to a hated tax collector. Jesus’ acceptance and willingness to pour out love to such a motley group provides a model for churches today as people come to our table, not only for communion but in all aspects of church life. Jesus’ ministry at the communion table and throughout the gospel stories is to show love, healing, and salvation to anyone, not those with whom he might feel most comfortable.
I’m pretty comfortable that Pilgrim works to provide that openness and acceptance. Since my first time walking through the doors, I’ve been impressed with the friendliness and concern for each other that typifies, for me, this congregation. Sometimes I wish we were more successful in reaching further into our community. While we can always strive to be better, I feel that our table, in the broadest sense, is open and that we only work and hope that it becomes fuller.
But there is another aspect that I’ll mention in this stewardship season. To commemorate that First Communion/Last Supper someone took care of quite a few logistics. The Upper Room was furnished, cleaned and the roof didn’t leak. Someone baked the bread and purchased the wine not to mention the courses which, if it was a proper Passover meal, were quite extensive. And didn’t someone look after carrying water in and lighting the candles? Afterwards, someone also had to pick up and do the dishes.
In a similar way, as our church offers it’s own table of spiritual nourishment, companionship, social justice and even Sunday snacks, there is a need to take care of the background logistics, staff and building. And that’s where our contributions of time, money and expertise come in. As we move through this stewardship season, please take time to consider how you might help equip our “table” to serve all those that want to come to it.