This song by Carrie Newcomer has become important for us at the prison and for me as I think about life and ministry. There's a sweet video of this song, full of dancing feet; I'm not sure what the dancing has to do with the welcoming table, but I dare you to watch it and not smile. I wonder, though, is it true? No matter who you are, no matter where you're from,There is room at the table for everyone.Here and now we can be, the beloved community,There is room at the table for everyone.There is room for us all, and no gift is too small.There is room at the table for everyone.There's … [Read more...] about Room at the Table
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The Uneasy Empty Chair
For 25 years, there's been an empty chair at the Thanksgiving table, my friend said (I'll call her Carol). Perhaps not literally. No one expected Carol's nephew to show up, so perhaps there wasn’t actually a place set, knowing it would stay empty, at the big dining table where the family would gather. But Peter's absence diminished those feasts. The chair he should have occupied was empty. No one would lovingly prepare that odd corn relish that, for years, Peter had said was his favorite. He was definitely missed. For the first few of those years, there was some story. He had to be … [Read more...] about The Uneasy Empty Chair