When Dr. Bill Leonard handed out the syllabus for Church History 101, I read through the books I had to purchase, which included Table Talk by Martin Luther. In 1520, Luther had published formal papers on his views of the Church, but Table Talk is a different kind of collection.
The formal papers by Luther were difficult to read for most people. Table Talk is a collection of informal recollections, by friends and family, which are more personal, reflecting not only his ideas, but also his feelings and humor.
We gain so much from both types of communication—thoughts expressed formally, but also comments made informally. The benefit of the informal is the intimacy and closeness of the comments. We not only hear them, but we also feel them. We hear the idea and also the person. This is why the name is fitting, Table Talk. It is the type of conversation we have around the table with our friends and family.
On Thursdays, we are now providing dinner through Ursula’s Catering. Along with clanging silverware, you can hear “table talk,” including a range of stories and humor, friendship and community. Sitting down around a table with others has a way of slowing us down and centering us again. It is an opportunity to enjoy the people sitting across from us, and it creates a respite in the middle of the week.
Along with the joy we find in others, time around the table is also sacred. In her book, Take This Bread, Sara Miles remembers a wise bishop who once said, “There’s a hunger beyond food that’s expressed in food, and that’s why feeding is always a kind of miracle.” We are thankful for “table talk,” which can feed our souls!
If you are able to join us on any given Thursday, we find joy, prayer, and laughter around the table. They are the sounds of community. When we are able to come, it is an oasis in our week, where we can connect with others!
-Tripp