THE WELCOME TABLE
Nov. 18, 2007
Rev. Kathleen A. Green
Summit Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
All of the family, young and old, would gather round the table that held the glorious feast, to engage in a Thanksgiving tradition. It’s a tradition in my family that years ago I named the Circle of Thanks. Each of us, standing together, holding hands all round the table (or tables), would one at a time express aloud something we felt particularly thankful for on this day. Sometimes there were giggles, sometimes there were profoundly touching words spoken, sometimes there were even a few tears. But the one thing we could always count on was my brother, Michael. Michael is the middle child in my family. Forty-two years ago, Michael was born with a variety of mental disabilities. He cannot drive, he cannot live completely on his own, but he is a most amazing brother, loving son, grandson, uncle and cousin. I say we could count on him because while the rest of us ever-so-intentionally change our thankful expressions every year, Michael is always thankful for,….the pumpkin pie,….every year! When I spoke with him last year, on Thanksgiving, I asked what he was thankful for. Of course, he said, “I’m thankful for lots of things, but especially for the pumpkin pie”. I’ll let you in on a little secret. Michael’s really the only one in the family that loves pumpkin pie. I never eat it! My mother only makes it once a year, because it’s Thanksgiving. Sadly, for Michael, we have pumpkin pie just once a year. Sadly for all of us, we have our Circle of Thanks just once a year. But that time is coming again: time to gather together and set the Welcome Table.
Would Alyssa and Marissa please bring in the table?
DRE: Why do we have a table here?
Rev. K.: We have a table here because we believe in community, in what we have to give to and receive from one another. We are created to be fed in relationship and the table is our symbol. We are fortunate here, at Summit UU Fellowship, to be part of a community of all ages. We can worship together, sing together, share moments of joy and sorrow together. We give and receive from one another and we are grateful.
Would the Biggart family please set the cloth on the table?
DRE: Why do we have a cloth on the table?
Rev. K: We have a cloth on the table because each life is interwoven with every other life. The cloth is our symbol of the love which binds us, upholds us, and covers us. What a diverse community we are. We come here from different religious, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. And yet within all of our diversity there is the unity of love. Love is the precious thread that weaves us together and we are grateful.
Would the Luna deAlva and Hafner families please set the candles on the table?
DRE: Why do we have candles on the table?
Rev. K: We have candles on the table because we believe in the light of faith, hope, love, and truth. These lights shine for all to see and we are grateful.
Would the Kaufman famiy please set the flowers?
DRE: Why do we have flowers on the table?
REV. K: We have flowers on the table so that we remember to see the mystery and beauty of creation, which continually surround us. Flowers are our symbol of the grace which springs up into our lives and for which we are grateful.
Would the Beauchamp family please set the plates and the Weed and Geroche families please set the glasses?
DRE: Why do we have plates and glasses on the table?
Rev. K: We have plates & glasses to hold the harvest gifts of the earth. The food and drink speak of the power of growing things; they ask us to wait for the ripening and reaping . Our symbols of trust and fruitfulness. We are grateful.
Would the Graham family please set the Guest at Your Table box?
DRE: Why do we have an empty box on the table?
Rev. K: The empty box is to remind us to welcome unseen guests at our table; brothers and sisters who share this earth and this life. The empty box reminds us to give from our fullness to those who have need, so that we may all know compassion.
The Welcome Table is set.
We celebrate with Thanksgiving.
Now let us break bread together.
Would the bread bearers please come forward?
Behold these breads from the earth’s many grains; from the hands of many peoples:
Loaves of barley grains, made holy by the toil of the people and soil of the earth in Egypt, Africa, and the Middle East.
Cakes of rice, made holy by the toil of the people and the soil and waters of the earth throughout Asia.
Breads of corn, made holy by the toil of the people of this country and the soil of its indigenous peoples.
Breads of wheat, made holy by the toil of the people and the soil of Europe’s continent.
Matzoh, the unleavened bread of freedom, made holy by the memory of the Jewish people.
Tortillas, likewise unleavened, made holy by people who struggle for liberation in this hemisphere.
As we share these daily breads of many cultures, we look to the day when there is enough bread for all the world’s peoples – when all of the earth’s children are nourished and protected.
Please take a piece of bread as the basket is passed to you and then offer the basket to the person next to you.
(Breads distributed)
As we taste of these breads, may we be made whole, sharing in the labors, the struggles, and the dreams of the earth’s people. As we share these breads, may we be mindful of our call to welcome others to the table and may we be made one in our commitment to justice and to peace.
So what happens after the pumpkin pie? I asked this of someone once and their reply was “leftovers”! It’s true. The UU minister who told us he learned everything he needed to know in kindergarten, Robert Fulghum, wrote an essay about the little things that we often forget to be thankful for, like leftovers. Anyone here like leftovers? How about Thanksgiving leftovers?
“…Thanksgiving leftovers. When the refrigerator becomes the Fort Knox of late night dining. Let’s face it, Thanksgiving is often a strain. But two days later is a different story. There’s good news in the fridge by then – solid gold leftovers! The pecan pie has ripened and congealed now, so you can pick up a big piece with your hand. The cranberry sauce has matured; the dark meat of the turnkey is easy to peel off the bone. And the dressing has transformed into something that would give truffles and caviar a run for their money. A true prayer of Thanksgiving is in order.”
But what about after the leftovers? After the pumpkin pie is gone, after the paper turkeys made from children’s hands have been packed away, after all the reminders of Thanksgiving are long gone from our minds.
The Hebrew term for gratitude is “hikarat hatov”, which literally means, ‘recognizing the good’. The secret embedded in the Hebrew is that gratitude depends not on getting something good but on recognizing the good that is already yours.
How often do you gather as a family of one, or two, or more, and offer thanks? How often do we stand together as a community, at the harvest table, and offer a prayer of Thanksgiving?
I remember my granddad, Bud White. Though never educated past the eighth grade he was ordained by the deacons of his church as a Southern Baptist minister. He made his living in construction and farming. Granddad would say the blessing before every meal. He spent what seemed like an hour giving thanks. Granddad was thankful for everything: for the new calf just born up the road a piece; for the tomatoes and melons picked from the gardens that morning; for our 4th cousin removed, out in Arizona who just got married; for the new family that joined the church; and for my grandmother’s chicken-fried steak and gravy. He and my grandmother didn’t have much to speak of. At least that’s what it looked like to my brother’s and I. They never owned a brand new car or travel to exotic lands – like California! They rarely ate out in a restaurant or went to a movie theater. They led a truly simple life. As an adult, I reflect on their simple life and lengthy prayers, realizing that my grandparents were thankful for their lives, and were deeply grateful for all that was a part of it. They never got too old or too wise to take time each and every day – not just on Thanksgiving – to recognize the good that was already theirs – to express their thanks.
And so today I say, “Thank you Mom, for making the pumpkin pie. Thank you, Michael, for being the consistent thread in my life. Thank you Grandmother and Granddad, for showing me how to live the truly good life. Thank you Summit Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, for being a spiritual home of hope, compassion, and reason. Thank you Divine Universe, God, Exquisite Love, for providing my life with more than I can understand; for challenging me to search for truth; for all that is my life.”
Amen.
