Everyone is Welcome at the Table - Amelia Pickering
On Sunday we were blessed by an encouraging and challenging message from Amelia Pickering from Prison Network as part of our Mission Month.
Below you’ll find recordings of Amelia’s message at our 5.30pm service as well as an article summarising some of her main points and including some questions for small group discussion.
Amelia Pickering’s sermon explores the profound inclusivity of Jesus and challenges us to consider who has a place at our own tables.
Our focus for this message is drawn from Luke 5:27-32, a pivotal passage that beautifully illustrates Jesus' radical approach to community and acceptance. In this post, we'll unpack this scripture, delve into its real-world implications, and offer some thoughtful questions for personal reflection and group discussion.
Understanding the Message: Jesus' Open Table
Amelia began by sharing her own journey, highlighting how her understanding of faith was profoundly reshaped by truly grappling with the life and words of Jesus. She spoke of how she was "ruined in the best possible way" by exploring concepts of social justice in the Bible, particularly around themes of the marginalised, the poor, and the imprisoned.
One powerful illustration Amelia shared was from theologian Jim Wallace, who described cutting out every verse in the Bible referring to the orphan, the widow, the poor, the hungry, the marginalised, and the prisoner. In the Old Testament, this was the second most prevalent theme, and in Luke's Gospel, one in every six verses had to be cut out! This struck Amelia deeply, leading her to realise:
"I don't want to be a carrier of gospel full of holes."
This desire to carry a "whole" gospel, one that embraces those on the edges, led Amelia to her inspiring work as the CEO of Prison Network.
She then guided us to Luke 5:27-32, where Jesus calls Levi (also known as Matthew), a tax collector, to follow Him. Tax collectors were not popular figures in society; they worked for the Roman occupiers and often gained wealth through dishonest means. Yet, Jesus called Levi, and what followed was truly remarkable: Levi hosted a "great banquet" for Jesus, attended by many tax collectors and "sinners." The religious leaders were aghast, questioning Jesus' choice of company. But Jesus' response was clear: "It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick."
Luke's Gospel often features Jesus sharing meals – more so than any other Gospel. For Jesus, eating wasn't just about satisfying hunger; it was a powerful statement. In the first century, eating was steeped in social custom. Who you ate with, where you sat, and even what you ate, all conveyed messages of acceptance and equality. When you ate with someone, you were essentially saying, "I accept you. You and I are the same. I am for you. I am with you."
Imagine the impact then, of Jesus, a revered teacher, choosing to eat with those ostracised by society. He wasn't just having a meal; He was declaring His kingdom values – a kingdom where everyone is welcome and everyone has a seat at the table.
Connecting to Our Lives: Making Room at Our Tables
Have you ever felt like you were on the outside looking in? Like you desperately wanted a seat at a particular table, but you weren't welcome? Amelia shared a humorous, yet relatable, personal story about trying to fit into a group of school mums, only to have a series of hilariously unfortunate events involving garage doors and cars cement her exclusion. While her story was light-hearted, the underlying feeling of not being wanted is something many of us can connect with.
Amelia reminds us that if a table doesn't welcome us, it's probably not the table for us.
"There are tables where you are welcome, there are tables where you are wanted."
Jesus' table is one such place. It's vast and welcoming, with plenty of seats available. There's no need to book, no reservation required, and no accessibility issues. You can come as you are, with all your baggage, issues, and troubles, and at Jesus' table, you are genuinely welcome. Not just welcome, but the poor, the homeless, the strangers, the marginalised, and the disenfranchised have pride of place at His table.
Amelia then beautifully linked this to her work at Prison Network, particularly through their craft program. It's at these craft tables, where volunteers and incarcerated women sit side-by-side, making simple things and "talking about nothing," that true connection happens. In these seemingly ordinary conversations, humanity, agency, and autonomy are restored. It's a powerful picture of belonging, acceptance, grace, and love.
Jesus didn't just speak about love and acceptance; He lived it out, especially through His choice of dinner companions. His actions echoed His revolutionary words in the Sermon on the Mount: "Blessed are the poor, blessed are the homeless, blessed are the hungry." A gospel without holes is one where love and acceptance are central, where the hungry are fed, and no one is left behind.
This is deeply encouraging, knowing that we always have a seat at God's table, regardless of our story. But Amelia also offered a challenge from Luke 14:12-14: when we host a meal, we shouldn't just invite our friends and those who can repay us. Instead, we should invite "the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind," for though they cannot repay us, we will be "repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
This prompts us to consider: What do our tables look like? Literally, who are we sharing meals with? Figuratively, where are the spaces in our lives that demonstrate this radical acceptance? Are there spare seats at our tables, or are they hard to get into? God does His best work in messiness, and His big table is certainly messy, but it's good! It's a place where we can say to each other, "You and I are equal. I am for you. I am with you. I've got you. I've got your back. We're in this together."
Amelia's message beautifully reminds us that Jesus' kingdom is one of radical welcome and inclusivity. We are always invited to His table, a place of unconditional love and acceptance. And as followers of Jesus, we are challenged to extend that same invitation, to open our own tables – both literally and figuratively – to those on the fringes, ensuring that no one feels left behind.
One Way to Live it Out This Week
This week, intentionally reach out to someone you wouldn't ordinarily connect with for a meal or a cuppa. It could be a new neighbour, a colleague you don't know well, or someone who might be feeling a bit isolated. Just sit, share a simple moment, and see what happens when you create a space of welcome.
A Short Prayer:
Lord God, thank You for the incredible welcome we find at Your table. Thank You that Your love is wide open, accepting, and non-judgmental. Open our eyes to see the needs around us, and open our hearts and hands to create spaces of community, acceptance, and belonging in our own lives, reflecting Your whole and holistic gospel. Amen.
Reflection/Discussion Questions
For Personal Reflection:
When have you felt like you were on the "outside," looking in at a table where you weren't welcome? How did that feel?
What does it mean to you personally to know that you always have a seat at Jesus' table, regardless of your past or present circumstances?
Thinking about Amelia's challenge from Luke 14, who is one person or group of people you could intentionally invite to "your table" this week?
For Small Group Discussion:
To get us started, what was one thing that resonated with you from Amelia's sermon ?
Amelia shared about Jim Wallace's exercise of cutting out verses related to the marginalised. What does it mean to you to be a "carrier of a gospel that's whole" rather than "full of holes"?
In the first century, eating with someone was a statement of acceptance and equality. How does this understanding change the way you view Jesus eating with tax collectors and "sinners" in Luke 5:27-32?
Amelia highlighted the power of the craft tables at Prison Network, where women connect by "talking about nothing." How have you experienced the power of simple, everyday interactions in building relationships and creating belonging?
Jesus' table is described as being "messy but good" and where "God does his very best work in messiness." What does this mean in a practical sense for us as a church and as individuals?
Luke 14:12-14 challenges us to invite those who cannot repay us. In what ways can we, as a group and as individuals, be more intentional about opening our "tables" (literally or figuratively) to those on the margins of society?
Thinking about Amelia's challenge from Luke 14, who is one person or group of people you could intentionally invite to "your table" this week?
How can we collectively pray for each other as we seek to live out the call to create more welcoming and inclusive spaces in our everyday lives?