What If Church Is Like a Great Banquet?

This past Sunday, Pastor Alison shared about the River's vision for community, drawing inspiration from the Parable of the Great Banquet in Luke 14. 

​Over the past year or so, many of us here at the River have been turning to this beautiful imagery as a guiding metaphor for how to think about church. We’ve borrowed this framework from our friends at Reservoir Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts and we've really appreciated how it can help us to think intentionally about how we want to show up and engage with community.

The logic goes, if a church community is meant to be a reflection of the Kingdom of God, and the Kingdom of God is like the Great Banquet — then, metaphorically speaking, we too should be seeking to throw a wonderful feast with an unusually diverse community.

If we embrace this image of the River as an inclusive, abundant feast then there are two primary ways we can think about our participation in the community. As members of the River community we are invited to be both:

• Attendees — who are fully participating in and enjoying the party; and also,
• Hosts at the table — who are helping to shape and co-create the communal experience for everyone who attends.

Painting by Hyatt Moore

We love the both/and nature of thinking of ourselves as both guests and hosts! It’s a vision where everyone matters and each person’s presence makes a difference. Where — in one way or another — everyone gives and everyone receives. Where there is mutuality and reciprocity, collaboration and co-ownership. Where there is fun and joy and laughter and life!

Thinking of ourselves in this way means that our experience of community is not static and that we are not pigeonholed into one specific role for all time. That there is room to grow, to try new things, to honor the specificity of the season we find ourselves in. To take on more when we have greater capacity; to take a step back when we need to.

What it looks like for each of us to be a “guest” and to be a “host” will vary from day to day, week to week, month to month, year to year. There may be periods when our capacity is greater than normal and we have more to give. And there may be other times when we are really going through a tough time and need greater support. That’s all a normal part of being human and being in community with one another.

Questions for Reflection

• What expectations do you bring to the communities you are a part of? To the River?
• What might it look like to lean into curiosity and clear, kind communication? Around your own experiences and preferences? Around the experiences and preferences of other community members?
• How have you previously understood your role as a community member, especially in faith communities you were a part of? What messaging did you receive (explicitly or implicitly) about your role?
• What's working for you in the ways you are currently showing up in community? What's not working as well? What new things might you want to give a try?

It seems to us that in the world we find ourselves in today, our need for genuine, loving human connection is greater than ever. And, also, that learning how to be in community with one another has the power to both enrich our own lives and to help bring healing to the world. Church — especially a diverse one like the River — can be a great place to practice being in and building community!

At the end of her sermon, Alison quoted from an essay by Rev. John J. Thatamanil, professor of theology and world religions at Union Theological Seminary and ordained Anglican priest. In the essay, titled "Recovering trust in humanity in these perilous, uncertain times," Thatamanil wrote about the peril of losing faith in one another and the power of real human connections to help us co-create a more just and loving world. He argues that small steps to build community are essential and that they are our way forward in these challenging times.

​Consider giving the full essay a read and joining us at the River as we seek to build life-giving community together!