Meeting Jesus at the Table: A Lenten Study (Cynthia Campbell & Christine Fohr) -- Review

MEETING JESUS AT THE TABLE: A Lenten Study. By Cynthia M. Campbell and Christine Coy Fohr. Illustrations by Kevin Burns. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2023. Xvi + 134 pages.

                The Table plays a central role in the Christian story. It is the locus of one of two sacraments agreed upon by almost the entire Christian community. When we celebrate the Eucharist/Holy Communion/Lord's Supper we gather to remember and celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, as well as the coming realm of God. Our eucharistic gatherings look back to the Last Supper; when Jesus instituted (ordained) the Lord's Supper as the means by which the community remembers what Jesus has done on our behalf. That practice is rooted in Jesus' own practices of table fellowship as well as Jewish practices, including Passover. When we look at the Lord’s Supper/Eucharist it is worth considering how Jesus shared table fellowship, not only on the night before his death on the cross but throughout his ministry. What better season to do this than Lent?

                Meeting Jesus at the Table: A Lenten Study provides faith communities (and individuals) a helpful resource that roots our contemporary practices in Jesus’ own practices of Table fellowship. This Lenten study guide (it’s not a daily devotional) was written by Cynthia Campbell, the former President of McCormick Theological Seminary, and Christine Coy Fohr, pastor of Harvey Browne Presbyterian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. They were joined by the late Kevin Burns, who provided artwork/illustrations and reflections that accompany the reflections offered by Campbell and Fohr. Together the three authors/artists provide the readers with a thoughtful presentation of what it means to gather at Table with Jesus. They write in the introduction that “the meal we share at the Lord’s Table is one in which a small amount of food provides deep nourishment for the soul. At this Table, there is always room for whoever shows up, and there is always enough for all to be fed” (p. xi).

                The context for this study is the season of Lent, which provides an opportunity for followers of Jesus to reflect on matters of the faith and prepare for the coming of Good Friday and Easter. As such, the season moves to its culmination on Maundy Thursday, where the church observes and remembers Jesus’ final meal with his disciples before his death. Many congregations and individuals use this time for devotional reading and study groups. This particular book is designed to assist in that purpose. Some Lenten materials are designed for daily reflection, but this book is designed for weekly study and reflection. With this in mind, the authors have provided reflection questions at the end of each chapter along with a "Guide for Church Leaders." This guide can be found at the end of the book, and it provides guidance on how to set up study groups along with designing preaching series focused on the texts and reflections in the book. They also offer guidance on matters of hospitality and outreach.

                The Lenten study provides us with eight reflections, each of which is about six pages in length. They take us week by week through Lent with the final chapter devoted to the Easter gathering. The authors draw texts from all four gospels. Through these texts and reflections, including the illustrations, the authors invite us to consider the stories of Jesus' feeding of the multitude, eating with tax collectors and sinners, a dinner interruption (Luke's story of the woman who broke into the dinner party and anointed Jesus' feet), Jesus' instructions about who to invite to the Table, a parable about filling seats at the Table when the invited guests don't show up; a meal with friends (Mary, Martha, & Lazarus in John); what the authors call "not the Last Supper" (Matthew's version of the "Last Supper"); and finally, the Easter encounter on the road to Emmaus. Each of these chapters includes a series of questions for reflection and discussion, as well as the illustrations and the artist's reflections. These reflections invite us to expand our vision of what it means to gather at the Table. While the Last Supper is in view, because Jesus called on his followers to remember that moment, they remind us that Jesus participated in many meal functions and that these meal functions (as well as stories about meal functions) reveal something about Jesus.

                The authors acknowledge the New Testament doesn't tell us very much about how the Lord's Supper was observed in the early church. However, they also note that stories about gathering at tables are found everywhere in the New Testament. Thus, they write in the introduction that "in this study, we invite you to explore some of the stories about Jesus and tables, and through them, to reflect on how tables shape our identity as followers of Christ" (p. xi). They acknowledge that there is no agreement as to who is welcome at the Lord's Table in our contemporary churches, leaving that discussion to others (something I am working on in my own writing projects). However, these reflections do raise enough questions that the matter might come up in conversation! So, be prepared. After all, Jesus ate with a lot of people who might not always be welcomed at our Tables.

                Since I believe that the practice of gathering at the Lord's Table is central to our life together as Christians, I believe it's also important to have conversations around the subject of whom Jesus would want to invite to the Table. Jesus might not have left explicit instructions concerning who might be invited, his own practices and teachings on other matters are suggestive if not definitive. With this study, we can engage with some of those passages in the Gospels and contemplate what happens to us at the Table of the Lord. For that reason, I believe should be thankful for this Lenten study.

                For those who are tasked with determining what resources to use for a Lenten study, might I recommend Meeting Jesus at the Table? I realize that faith traditions have different theologies and practices when it comes to the Table. My own tradition gathers weekly, if not more often. Others gather at the Table monthly or even less often. My own inclination is to increase frequency, and this guide might lead to such a decision. It might also lead to other decisions related to the Supper. Most importantly, Campbell, Fohr, and Burns remind us that when we come to the Table, we should expect to meet Jesus. I highly recommend Meeting Jesus at the Table for use at Lent. If you have already decided on what to do this year, be sure to put this book at the top of your list for next year. Or, you might use it at any time of the year. After all, gathering at the table in the presence of Jesus isn’t just a Lenten experience! As the disciples discovered at Emmaus, it can be eye and heart-opening!