Open Heaven Church

Do you hide in the kitchen? Or do you allow others to see you as you are? 'Many people love the idea of the church as a community. But when we eat together, we encounter not some theoretical community, but real people with all their problems and quirks,’ says author Tim Chester. A table is a place where we can be our authentic selves. We have heard it said that Jesus welcomed sinners, but so too did sinners welcome Jesus. As Jesus accepted and received hospitality, he graced his hosts with honour, restoring their humanity.

Do you struggle to welcome others into your life? Do you believe that God can transform your feelings, motives or capacity? In scripture, ‘the table’ is often portrayed as a place of lavish excess. From the banquets in Esther to the hospitality of Lydia in Acts, a table is a place of generosity. Hospitality is grounded in generously giving to others and receiving the blessings they offer in return.

Who is my neighbour? What obstacles might they face in joining ‘the table’? What tables need to be overthrown to make space for those excluded? Luke 5 tells the story of a meal with a seemingly disreputable guest list. God is sitting down and eating with his enemies. ‘When persons were estranged’, says scholar Scott Bartchy, ‘a meal invitation opened the way to reconciliation.’ In the Gospel of Luke, meals become a form of enacted grace. We can create patterns of exclusion or inclusion through the invitations we make to our tables or into our homes. Are we conscious of the impact of our choices?

What is your approach to hospitality? There’s an art to engaging with one another. There’s power in a good question. In his interactions with Samaritans, leaders and tax collectors, Jesus tailored his conversation to the unique situations and people around him. ‘Hospitality involves a willingness to adjust our plans to suit specific needs’, says author Carolyn Lacey. This allows depth and openness in our relationships. And where there's an honest conversation, good things can happen.

What traditions can we create as a community? Who can we invite? Traditions are rhythms of life that remind us of past, present and future events. They may celebrate joy, share sorrow, or simply mark a moment. Creating regular moments of celebration around the table can form our habits, lifestyles, and memories. As we look at scripture, we see an example in the Gospel of Luke. ‘Jesus took the bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you’, Luke 22:19-20.

Who is my neighbour? What obstacles might they face in joining ‘the table’? What tables need to be overthrown to make space for those excluded? Luke 5 tells the story of a meal with a seemingly disreputable guest list. God is sitting down and eating with his enemies. ‘When persons were estranged’, says scholar Scott Bartchy, ‘a meal invitation opened the way to reconciliation.’ In the Gospel of Luke, meals become a form of enacted grace. We can create patterns of exclusion or inclusion through the invitations we make to our tables or into our homes. Are we conscious of the impact of our choices?

The table can be a place of profound encounters with God and each other. The table becomes the venue for daily habits and life-changing moments. Characters encounter Jesus at the table throughout the Gospel of Luke. Jesus was available to them, interested in them and honouring to them. 

The table can be a place of profound encounters with God and each other. The table becomes the venue for daily habits and life-changing moments. Characters encounter Jesus at the table throughout the Gospel of Luke. Jesus was available to them, interested in them and honouring to them. 

In the Gospel of Luke, we meet two such troubled disciples. As they walk along the road, they open their hearts to a stranger who listens to their tale. They invite him into their home. They sit at the table, and the stranger breaks bread with them. Their eyes are opened, and they recognise the stranger as the risen Christ.

Is there a way to truly love our enemies? When is it hardest to ‘turn the other cheek’? You cannot do justice without recognising how power has been used to exploit and abuse, but you also cannot do justice without exerting power yourself. The gospel shows us a Saviour who does indeed exercise authority over us, but who uses that authority and power only to serve us, and who was willing to lose it and suffer in order to save us. Christians have intellectual and heart resources to use power in a way that does not exploit. We must never stop struggling to walk in our Saviour’s steps.

Where around you do you see environmental injustice? Could you give, act, or pray to make a difference in this situation? We recognise that living sustainably is not always easy. For the Leads, the starting point has been trying to educate themselves and make an informed decision based on what they think is best for the world. There is always a cost involved; it is just where or who that cost is. We’re delighted to have Ally Lead sharing their journey with us this week in OH1.

Environmentalist and theologian, social activist, and author, Dr Ruth Valerio is the Director of Global Advocacy and Influencing at Tearfund. This role allows Ruth to inspire and equip Christians with a whole-life response to poverty, bringing lasting change to the issues that impact the poorest and most vulnerable. Previously Ruth helped to launch the Eco Church scheme - Open Heaven is currently working towards its bronze award.

Take a moment by yourself. Are you willfully blind to the racism around you? Does your support of those marginalised by racial inequality come from a place of selflessness, or has it ever been for prideful gain? When faced with the opportunity to learn about a topic that could lead us to confront some uncomfortable personal realities, it’s an easy choice to opt out. Equally, the temptation can creep in to utilise the cause of another to further our ambition. There are both mindsets we can be caught in regarding racial justice. As part of our life-long discipleship, we need to take time to sit alone with these possibilities and ask God to search our hearts for any presence of them.

Do you choose to 'ally' yourself with others to benefit them, or because it will further and promote your own ambition? Talking about being an ally is a hot topic in today's society. We have to be careful that our allyship doesn't become something that benefits ourselves when those we're standing in alliance with don't actually benefit. When we do see people being performative in their allyship, we have got to be prepared to say 'this has got to stop because it is not the purpose of God'.

The image of God is on all races and yet racial injustice has been a challenge in biblical history as well as human history, from the Jews and the Gentiles through to today. Races should not merely ‘get along,’ but must become a new humanity in which the old divisions no longer prevail. This is an ongoing mission for the kingdom of God.

There is always a cost; we just need to decide who’s paying for it. Are we willing to pay it, or do we just want someone else to do it? What does that say about the way we see other people? The first aspect of biblical justice is radical generosity. While secular individualism says that your money belongs to you, and socialism says your money belongs to the State, the Bible says that all your money belongs to God, who then entrusts it to you. Jesus calls us to be wise stewards of our wealth. This is a guided meditation that considers and reflects on three of the parables of Jesus from the Gospel of Luke.

There is always a cost; we just need to decide who’s paying for it. Are we willing to pay it, or do we just want someone else to do it? What does that say about the way we see other people? The first aspect of biblical justice is radical generosity. While secular individualism says that your money belongs to you, and socialism says your money belongs to the State, the Bible says that all your money belongs to God, who then entrusts it to you. Jesus calls us to be wise stewards of our wealth.  

Does Jesus’ example tell us anything about how we’re to treat others? What can we learn from Him that would help bring justice to our lives? Are we willing to let Him shape and mould our lives? Following on from the prophetic words of the law and prophets in the Old Testament, Jesus is the fulfillment of what they spoke of. He is the embodiment of God’s will on the Earth. His life was the perfect description of the upside down kingdom, were the last shall be made first and those who are persecuted will inherit the kingdom of Heaven.

What can we learn from those who’ve gone before us? What do they have to teach us about our present-day circumstances? Much of the Old Testament prophecy was about God’s judgement on Israel for their unjust practices in treating the poor, the foreigner, the widow and the orphan. The Ten Commandments point the Israelites towards justice; they establish just principles for living.

What does it mean to be made in the image of God? How can we see the character of God in others? God made humanity to be like God, representing Him on Earth. Our value is at the heart of the creation story. If we made in the image of God, so too are our neighbours; migrants crossing the channel or CEOs of billion-dollar companies. We are citizens of heaven. This is our identity.