How You Can Find Communion Everyday
{By Duane Scott}
They came and we sat.
Around a table made of wood. The manicotti played delicately with our senses, spinach and cottage cheese all wrapped inside a noodle and should it taste this good? A garden salad, broken bread, and once the shortbread saw the strawberries, it became willing. Cool whip piled high and coffee steaming and eventually, rumpled napkins appeared, used and discarded as bellies were deemed full.
The dogs licked our fingers from below, begging to join but they were there, below the table, exactly where they were meant to be.
The sun went down and the children left the table, murmuring shyly to my wife, thank you for the food and then the conversation grew sober, deepening, like only a conversation can between friends.
And when they left, they said, “When I sat down, I thought how much it felt like sitting down with my brother and sister.”
I nodded, knowing, yes… glancing at that table, that table made of wood.
“We need to do that more,” I told my wife later. “It keeps us connected.” Connected. I thought about that, then, just that word, delving deeper into what it was I felt around that table. The more we ate and talked and laughed, it seemed, the closer I felt, the clearer I saw.
Because I could feel the heartbeat of their faith, I felt the heartbeat of God and I’m convinced, now, that sometimes the way to get closer to God is by getting closer to His people.
Flawed and beautiful, our broken faith was laid out on those boards, boards nailed together much like our Savior’s cross and it’s this joining here, at the cross that makes us whole. It’s where hope is born, here at the cross and it takes flight, giving wings to a faith that’s alive and true.
Before falling asleep, I sighed a simple prayer thanking God for the tables in our lives, for they are making a place where we can meet to know we’re not alone.
photo credit: FzFoto via photopin
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Duane Scott has been known to be jarred awake by a crashing of smattered M&M’s to the floor even as two angelic dogs innocently stood among the crime scene. But for the most part, Duane likes the silence and quiet of Iowa fields where he is married to his favorite Southern Gal. He also tends to the common farmer as an R.N.. A storyteller at heart, he likes to weave words with threads of this and that and believes we discover the answers by living the questions. Coffee is a critical nutrient in his opinion and anyone who drinks it, is already a friend. He quietly shares on his blog Scribing The Journey.
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outside the city gate 
yes. just yes.
Karen,
Thank you for sitting with us here today. Blessings, Duane
YES, Duane! “It keeps us connected.” The discipline that is to entangle our spirits with community is good for us . . . and it is an exercise in our faith that trusts God weaves us all imperfect human beings for purposes beyond our understanding. This here is real worship, brother. Amen.
This is so true. I’ve born witness to such communion. There’s a quiet edification that leaves a soul filled.
Yes~this is where Jesus sat and passed bread and a cup, at a table. And when we invite people to ours, this is where real communion happens. You paint the picture beautifully, as always, Duane.
Your words are beautiful and true. Community is hard but worth it. You make me want to have a dinner party this weekend.
your words are always wonderful. please don’t ever discount the gift God has given you.
Sharon, I appreciate your kindness. Words are necessary to life for me so I doubt I could quit writing even if I wanted to. It’s how God made me. 🙂
Duane, this is AWESOME! Just savoring this, “Flawed and beautiful, our broken faith was laid out on those boards, boards nailed together much like our Savior’s cross and it’s this joining here, at the cross that makes us whole. It’s where hope is born, here at the cross and it takes flight, giving wings to a faith that’s alive and true.” I love the hope you share for broken hearts and broken faith, just like our Savior was broken for us so that we may be made whole. I’m still waiting for those wings to take flight, but I’ll trust that they will come and I will fly, too.
All I could think when I read your comment was, “I’m going to pray for her, that she can find her wings.” Maybe some day we can meet for coffee at the big table in the back of Panera or something. 🙂
There is something about eating and sharing together…..its intimate. It’s kind of like putting yourselff out there, unafraid to be vulnerable. I feel this with certain believers I can really be honest with and not have to be afraid of saying the wrong thing……its Holy.
Lori,
Yes, I’m an extremely shy person about my faith in real life. I don’t like to have to look someone in the eye and try to explain myself or my broken faith. But I want to do more of this. For the reasons you mentioned above. Maybe one day you’ll join us at our table. Blessings, Duane
I’ll be there! I can bring Mac N’ Cheese.
Beautiful, Duane. ” sometimes the way to get closer to God is by getting closer to His people.” Yes…more often than we typically make time for too.