Going Deeper: At The Table

The purpose of this “Going Deeper” section is to invite you into a more intentional practice of Christian hospitality, reflecting the radical welcome Jesus extended at the table. As we explore how Jesus used meals to teach, heal, and transform, we are called to make room for others in our lives—especially those on the margins—just as He did.

This series challenges us to embrace hospitality not as an occasional act, but as a daily, Christlike rhythm that reflects the heart of the gospel. Through scripture, reflection questions, and practical steps, we aim to cultivate a deeper sense of belonging in our homes, our church, and our community, where we mirror God’s welcome and love.

Let’s go deeper together and live out the radical hospitality of Christ, becoming the kind of people who welcome others as Jesus welcomes us.


How to Use This Daily Reflection:
Each day we will very simply pray (P.R.A.Y.) ‘P’: PAUSING to be still. ‘R’: REJOICING with a Psalm and REFLECTING on a Scripture. ‘A’: ASKING God to help us. ‘Y’: YEILDING to His will in our lives, come what may. Allow this rhythm to deepen your awareness of God’s presence and guide you to live out His mission in your daily life.

Week 01 – Jesus Came Eating and Drinking

Bulletin Article:
Did you know that Jesus did some of His most profound ministry around the dinner table? In Luke 5:27–32, He calls Levi, a tax collector, and then joins him for a meal with other “sinners”—people others might consider unworthy. This wasn’t just about sharing food—it was about extending grace, building relationships, and showing that God’s kingdom welcomes everyone.
Jesus used meals to demonstrate a key truth: hospitality is central to the mission of the kingdom. It’s not just about opening your home or offering a meal—it’s about opening your heart to people who need Jesus, no matter where they are in life. Meals are sacred moments where grace can be shared, healing can begin, and relationships can be formed.
This week, I challenge you to take a step toward this kind of radical hospitality. Plan one meal with someone outside your usual circle. Don’t focus on impressing them—just invite them to experience the love and grace of God. You might be surprised how God will use your table to reveal His kingdom.


Week 02 – Interruptions and Open Doors

Bulletin Article:

In Luke 10, Jesus tells a story that’s become almost too familiar: the Good Samaritan. We nod along, already knowing the punchline. But pause for a moment and consider what really happened—this man was on a journey, likely with his own urgent plans. Yet he stops. He sees. He cares. His entire day is interrupted, and his resources are spent on someone he’d been taught to avoid.

Just a few verses later, we meet Martha—another person who opens her home to Jesus. But instead of stopping, she keeps going, busy with preparations. Her sister Mary, meanwhile, chooses to simply be with Jesus. And He says that Mary has chosen the better part.

These stories speak to a truth we often resist: love and hospitality aren’t usually convenient. They require space in our schedules, our hearts, and our minds. And in a culture that rewards hurry, the act of slowing down to see and serve others is profoundly countercultural. Hospitality doesn’t begin with a meal or a clean house. It begins with a posture of attentiveness. It’s about being interruptible—ready to notice a need, to sit with a person, or to welcome God’s presence in an unexpected moment.

This week, pay attention to the “interruptions” that come your way. Instead of seeing them as problems to solve or delays to endure, ask: Could this be a doorway into sacred love? You may find that what seems like a disruption is actually a divine appointment. Let your open door—or your open schedule—become a place where the kingdom of God quietly breaks through.


Week 03 – The Table of the Marginalized

Bulletin Article:
Did you know that some of Jesus’ most transformative moments happened around a meal? In Luke 7:36–50, Jesus dines with Simon the Pharisee, but it’s not just about sharing food. A woman known for her sinful life enters the scene, weeping at Jesus’ feet and anointing them with perfume. Simon, the host, is offended by her presence, but Jesus sees what Simon does not—this woman’s act of love and repentance is an expression of grace.
Jesus’ actions show us that hospitality is about more than offering a meal—it’s about offering dignity, restoring worth, and including the marginalized. In a world that often excludes those who don’t fit the mold, Jesus invites us to use our tables as a place of radical welcome. The table is where grace, healing, and restoration happen, and Jesus calls us to extend that same grace to others.
As you reflect on Jesus’ example, consider how you can offer radical hospitality in your own life. Who might feel excluded from your table, whether literally or figuratively? Take a step this week to invite someone from outside your usual circle—a person who may be marginalized or overlooked. You don’t need to impress them with a fancy meal; just invite them to experience the love and grace of God. By doing this, your table becomes a place of mission where lives can be transformed.


Week 04 – The Guest Who Becomes the Host

Bulletin Article:
In Luke 14, Jesus attends a dinner party—but as usual, He’s not content to simply pass the bread. He watches as guests angle for the best seats, and then offers a surprising teaching: “Take the lowest place.” His words cut through the pride and posturing, calling us into a different kind of table—a kingdom table, where humility is the highest honor and the guest list includes those the world forgets. Then, Jesus turns to the host. His challenge is even more pointed: “Don’t just invite your friends and wealthy neighbors. Invite the poor, the crippled, the outcast.” In other words, throw a party for people who can’t repay you. It’s a radical kind of hospitality that mirrors God’s heart—a banquet of grace, not payback.

Jesus goes on to tell a story about a great feast. The original invitees refuse to come, distracted by their fields and fortunes. So the host sends his servants into the streets to gather anyone who will say yes. And the feast goes on—with a guest list full of misfits and unexpected guests. This is how Jesus reveals the kingdom: not as an exclusive dinner party, but as a feast for the willing. And though He often enters as the guest, He always carries the authority of the true Host—offering welcome, grace, and a seat at the table to all.

In the kingdom of God, we’re not just called to host others; we’re called to be hosted. That means opening our doors and our hearts. It means recognizing our own need for grace, even as we offer it to others. This kind of mutual hospitality is where true transformation happens.

Who is missing from your table? What seat might you need to surrender so someone else can belong? This week, let your table reflect the wideness of God’s welcome. Don’t worry about impressing. Just make space—for others, and for Jesus.


Week 05 – The Table of Generosity and Grace

Bulletin Article:
Zacchaeus climbed a tree hoping just to see Jesus. What he didn’t expect was that Jesus would stop, look up, and call him by name. Even more shocking—Jesus invites Himself over for dinner. In a world where meals were reserved for the worthy and well-connected, Jesus flips the script. He shares His presence with someone others had written off.

This is what grace looks like: it sees beyond the reputation, beyond the failure, and beyond the shame. It moves toward people others avoid. And when grace takes root, it grows into something beautiful—generosity.

Zacchaeus doesn’t just say sorry. He changes. He gives. Not because he was pressured to, but because he was loved. That’s what true hospitality does—it transforms. It moves from the table to the heart, and from the heart to action.

In our homes, our churches, and our everyday moments, we have the same opportunity. Hospitality is more than good food and clean floors. It’s a lifestyle of open hands and open hearts—a willingness to welcome others as Jesus has welcomed us.

This week, look around: Who needs to be seen? Who needs to know they matter? Offer your time, your table, your attention. Don’t wait until it’s convenient or impressive—just let it be real. Because when grace is the starting point, generosity naturally follows.


Week 06 – The Shared Table and the Body of Christ

Bulletin Article: The Last Supper was more than a meal—it was the beginning of a new kind of family. Jesus, knowing that His disciples would soon abandon Him, still chooses to serve them. He shares His body and blood, not just as a ritual but as an invitation to become like Him: self-giving, loving, and forgiving. And even in the face of betrayal, Jesus’ hospitality remains unwavering.
This table, shared with friends and foes alike, is where we see the heart of the Gospel. It’s not about perfection; it’s about grace. Every broken person, every flawed disciple, is welcomed. And in this welcome, we become the body of Christ—a community bound not by merit, but by mercy.
When we gather around the table—whether for Communion or an ordinary meal—we are living out the truth that we belong to one another. This is the table of grace, and it shapes us into a community that shares life, love, and forgiveness. It’s where we are nourished, renewed, and reminded that we are one body in Christ.
As you reflect on the shared table, think about the people in your life who need to be welcomed. How can your table become a place of grace, forgiveness, and unity? This week, gather around a table, invite someone in, and let the meal be a reminder of the radical love and hospitality Jesus extends to all of us.


Week 07 – Hospitality on the Road

Bulletin Article:The story of the road to Emmaus reminds us that sometimes the most profound encounters with God happen in the most ordinary places. After Jesus’ death, two disciples were walking away from Jerusalem, filled with despair. They didn’t know it yet, but the One they were grieving had already risen and was walking right beside them. A stranger joins them, listens to their sorrow, teaches them from the Scriptures, and shares a meal. It’s in the breaking of bread that their eyes are opened and they recognize Jesus.

What stands out in this story is the power of hospitality. It’s not in a dramatic miracle that their eyes are opened, but in the simple act of sharing a meal. Jesus, even in His resurrection, is still forming community through the table. He reveals Himself not in the extraordinary, but in the everyday.

As we reflect on this story, we are invited to practice spiritual attentiveness—to open our hearts to the presence of Christ in the ordinary rhythms of life. In the midst of the mundane, Jesus often shows up. This week, let’s slow down, make space for meaningful conversation, and invite others into the hospitality of our homes and lives. You might be surprised where you find Jesus waiting to be recognized.


Week 08 – Living a Life of Radical, Ordinary Hospitality


Recommended Books

  • A Meal with Jesus by Tim Chester: Jesus used meals to embody grace, build community, and welcome outsiders, showing us that sharing the table is central to the mission of God.
  • Making Room by Christine Pohl: Christian hospitality is a radical, transformative practice rooted in Scripture and tradition that calls us to welcome strangers with intentional love and care.
  • The Gospel Comes with a House Key by Rosaria Butterfield: Everyday, ordinary hospitality is a powerful way to live out the gospel, turning our homes into places of refuge and spiritual transformation.