Table Burning

October 19th, 2019, the weekend of my 54th birthday we held a “table burning ceremony.” Hunter, Lauren, and Madison drove up from Austin. Hampton flew in from Boston. Several close friends joined us for one last feast around the table. Gregg and Krista made a meat and cheese tray to die for. I cooked pigs in the blanket; an old recipe from my great aunt and Kelly baked an amazing lemon-blueberry cake. We had wine, beer, and Topo-Chicos. Food, good food, around the table was an important aspect of my childhood and it remains so today.

Steve and I moved to Dallas twenty-eight years ago and now we are moving to Austin. Our old table won’t fit into our new home. We could have given it away. That’s what I had intended to do until I started reflecting upon the meaning of our table.

Our table is holy. In Scripture, particularly in reference to the Temple, we read about ordinary objects that were set apart for a particular purpose. When I pondered what Scripture teaches about holiness and sacredness I realized our table was just that. The idea of someone using the table in any other way than holy or sacred was too much to bear. So I decided, as an act, maybe you could even say as a sacrifice of thanksgiving, we should burn it. Send it off with gratitude.

Before we burned it we had each person write a word or two on the table that depicted what the “table” meant to them. What difference did being around that table make in their lives? Whew, the words shared were powerful. I was right, our table was set apart for a particular purpose.

Madison shared first. Her word was ordinary. She acknowledged that exceptional things happened around our table but more than not ordinary life happened. Day in and day out, according to her, we ate chicken and rice. (I did cook other things but obviously, she’s forgotten!) Marriage. Family. Friends. Neighbors. Co-workers. Ordinary life.

Others wrote words like these.

They are accurate. Holy stuff happened around this table. Steve and I calculated that over the years our table has held the stories of over 2,000 people. We hosted years of wine and cheeses, held decades of staff/board meetings, hosted baby showers, engagement parties, and birthday parties.

We gathered here when a young college student died, a father was killed, a young man who was like our fourth child committed suicide. I’ve sat with my kids' friends while they shared their painful things in their lives. Parents were divorcing. Mother was abusive. A home that was empty and lonely. Breakups with girlfriends. I’ve sat up till the wee hours of the night discussing theology and philosophy with my kid’s friends. I’ve sat with some of those same kids and scolded them for smoking pot in my home!

We’ve had people live with us over the years, some for a few months, others for years. And we ate around our table. We had deep conversations about real shit. Nothing was off the table so to speak. We’ve had dignitaries from Africa at our table and kids from the inner city at our table.

I’ve sat at this table and poured over Scripture. It’s at our table I wrote over twenty bible studies and four books. I sat at this table and pastored countless (and I do mean countless!) women about spiritual issues in their lives. There have been pain, tears, laughter, discovery, angst, and ah-ha moments. It’s all happened around this table.

After each person shared their words, a friend stood, like a priest administering the benediction, and read the poem they had written for this special occasion. (PS. There’s a swear word at the end so if that bothers you don’t read the last sentence.)

After the benediction we took her apart, prayed a prayer of thanks to God, then set her on fire.

The morning after I moved into our new place I noticed a table outside our apartment building. Yes, a table outside our door that seats 22-35 people encircled by trees. I take it to be a sign from Jesus that the table is to continue. I’m not sure how it will look or who will come but I do know Jesus does amazing work around the table.

“All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity- all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.” - Acts 2:42-47