When we think about giving thanks, either during the upcoming holidays or as we gather for worship each week, we are thankful for our place in the family of faith at Auburn First Baptist. As we think about the places of our lives, we usually know that we are a part of a place because we have a seat at the table. We know that we are woven into a people when we have said, “Please pass the potatoes.”
We will gather on Thursday, November 18 for our Thanksgiving Meal, which we were not able to plan last year. We are thankful for this opportunity!
We also look forward to other gatherings during this season whether it is our Advent Family Worship, Family Night at Christmas, or Christmas Potluck at our Special-Called Business Meeting. As we think about the family of faith at Auburn First Baptist, we are thankful we have a seat at the table, and that there are open seats for others, who might want to join us!
We are a family of faith because of the table, as Nora Ephron says, “A family is a group of people who eat the same thing.” It is a simple definition, but it proves true. We knit our lives together by passing the potatoes. We share our lives, offer grace to one another, meet the challenges of each day, and find our way together!
When we know who likes extra salt on their potatoes, who always has seconds of them, or who likes them mashed instead of baked, we are able to support and care for one another in profound ways! The grace of God has a way of entering our lives in ordinary ways. They are the ways of community and commitment. They are woven into the routines of each week.
Most of all, we find joy at the table! We hear laughter, and we share stories. We look forward to sharing the stories of the family of faith and to laughing with one another during this season of the year. We can say to one another, “Please pass the potatoes.”
-Tripp