A Table of Hope

Every Tuesday afternoon as we finish the mid-afternoon prayer, Dave invites everyone within hearing range to gather for afternoon Bible study at the twenty-foot table in the center of the room.

“It is a very exclusive table,” he says each time. “Only sinners allowed!”

The Lamb Center, a day shelter for homeless and poor individuals, recently moved to a bigger, better-equipped building. Three times the size of the old building, the new space enables us to serve our guests in a number of new ways. In spite of the improvements, though, the heart of what transpires continues to happen around the old table in the center of the room, the only piece of furniture that made the move from the old building to the new. Built lovingly by a volunteer who has since passed away, the table was created especially for The Lamb Center. Staff, volunteers, and guests couldn’t imagine a Lamb Center without this table–a symbol of hope, healing, and transformation for so many.

I understand the attachment to this special table. I too have sensed God’s presence there and have been repeatedly moved by the vulnerability, compassion, and hope I have experienced within this community during the years I have been leading Tuesday afternoon Bible study. If I know anything at all about the kingdom of God, I’ve learned it at this table.

All are Welcome

Everyone is welcome at The Lamb Center table. Whether sharing a meal, gathering for Bible study, or engaging in conversation during the hours in between, there are no requirements for a seat at the table except a willingness to pull up a chair. This is a place of radical hospitality. Whether guest, staff, or volunteer, we are all invited to come as we are. We can show up hungry, show up confused, show up with a smile, or show up with tears in our eyes. We can show up in our finest clothes or show up in our last filthy shirt. We can share our perspectives or sit quietly and listen. The table is a safe place, and we are all there by God’s invitation. My friend Dave often says to those who hesitate at the edge of our circle, “We won’t be complete without you.” At the table and in the kingdom, we are loved, our stories are valued, and our presence matters.

People are Messy

The Lamb Center table is raw, honest, and real. Life is hard, and many of our guests are living in difficult circumstances. My friends at The Lamb Center are under no misconceptions that they have their lives under control. The pride and self-sufficiency which plague many of us with comfortable homes and money in the bank has long since been left behind by my friends who sleep in the woods. They know they need help because the situations in which they find themselves leave them no alternative. Around this holy table, masks of invincibility have no place. We laugh a great deal, but we also shed a few tears because life is both beautiful and burdensome. We cling to the promises of God, we cheer each other on, and we revel in the power of me too as we find we have more similarities than differences. At the table and in the kingdom, we learn to trust each other, and we find that courage is often found in community.

God is in Charge

When I began leading Bible study at The Lamb Center years ago, I arrived in a flurry of planning and preparation, with an outline and thoughtful follow-up questions at the ready. I soon learned I was not the one in charge. Now, I show up with a handful of Scripture and with my eyes wide open, eager to see what God is going to do. Like the young boy who offered up his meager lunch of a loaf of bread and a couple of fish (see Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:31-44, Luke 9:10-17, and John 6:5-15), sometimes I feel like more of an observer of miracles than a participant. During the many hours I have spent with my friends at the table, I have learned to slow down and listen to God in a deeper way because I know I am in over my head. I know I can’t “fix” my friends at The Lamb Center, so I don’t even try. I can’t orchestrate their healing, get them housing, keep them sober, or undo the pain they have suffered in their lives. So I lean in and follow the One who can.

My experiences at the table have taught me the freedom and joy of trusting God to do more than I can imagine. At the table and in the kingdom, our good God has the answers to all our questions and a plan for each of our lives.

Kelly Johnson is a counselor, writer, speaker, and advocate. She leads a weekly Bible study and serves as chair of the board of directors at a local shelter for the homeless. Married to her high school sweetheart, she is the mom of two college-age daughters. Kelly writes about life, faith, and her newly empty nest at kellyjohnsongracenotes.com.

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