It’s the second week of Lent, and we’ll take some time this week for our hearts’ reflections to tune in to table fellowship and food sharing as a spiritual practice in our daily lives. As we begin this week, I’m thinking of a story of mashed potato preparation for a large dinner at Carondelet UCC years ago. Members of the church were busy preparing for this particular dinner in the same way they had many times before; by this time, meal prep was routine at CUCC. Everyone had a job and knew how to execute it with efficiency.

The mashed potatoes, too, were being prepared like before. They were mixed together in a large bowl with a commercial-sized mixer to do the mashing and mixing. This time, though, the mixer spun and whirred and spun gobs of mashed potatoes right out of the basin and all over the kitchen walls. What a surprise! What a mess! (And according to the story, what a good memory it was for those who worked together to prepare that meal and to clean it up, too)

Perhaps one of the gifts of our table sharing as a spiritual practice in our lives is that the Holy Spirit whirs wondrous surprises when God’s people take time to share food, conversation and presence with others. At table, we find wonders of friendships growing deeper; strangers becoming friends; communities built to be stronger; love that is known even more profoundly; visions of hope shared that can seed a bright future.

As you reflect on your food sharing and table fellowship spiritual practice this week, may the Spirit make your tables holy tables, and may you know the goodness, delight and surprise that God can bring to you and the places where you gather with others.