Tag Archives: Setting the Table

Sanctifying the Space: Preparing the Table as an Act of Worship

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In the symphony of biblical hospitality, if the host’s heart is the melody, then the prepared table is the harmonious setting. It’s easy to view table preparation as a mundane chore or a frantic race against the clock before guests arrive. Yet, through a biblical lens, setting the table transcends mere aesthetics; it transforms into a profound act of worship, stewardship, and intentional service to God and His image-bearers. It’s about sanctifying the space, consecrating the environment where fellowship and nourishment will occur.

Our first call in preparing the table is an act of stewardship of resources. God, the ultimate Provider, has entrusted us with our homes, our time, and our provisions. When we prepare a meal and set a table, we are exercising this stewardship. This doesn’t demand lavish spending or extravagant displays, but rather a thoughtful, prayerful use of what we have. It’s about providing generously without ostentation, reflecting the God who provides “enough and to spare” (Psalm 23:5), yet who also abhors waste. Whether it’s a simple, comforting meal or a celebratory feast, the focus is on the intentional deployment of our resources to bless others, recognizing that every ingredient, every dish, every linen, is a gift from His hand.

Beyond mere functionality, preparing the table invites us into the practice of beauty as an offering. Just as the tabernacle and temple were meticulously crafted with beauty to glorify God, our tables can also be spaces of beauty that honor Him and those we serve. This doesn’t imply striving for Pinterest perfection, which can lead to anxiety rather than worship. Instead, it’s about cultivating a spirit of excellence in presenting what we have. A clean tablecloth, polished silverware, thoughtfully folded napkins, or a simple centerpiece from nature—these small acts of care communicate honor. They whisper, “You are valued. This moment matters. This space is prepared with intention.” This beauty is not for our applause, but a quiet act of worship, mirroring the beauty God imbues into creation, and offering it back to Him through service to His people.

Every element of the table can serve as a symbol in this act of worship. The crispness of the linens can symbolize purity; the warmth of candlelight, the light of Christ; the unified arrangement of plates and cutlery, the unity found in the Body of Christ. Each item, whether simple or ornate, can be a silent prayer, transforming the physical into the spiritual. This isn’t about rigid rules, but about cultivating a mindset where every detail, however small, is infused with purpose and prayer. When we choose a specific dinnerware set or arrange flowers, we can consciously infuse these actions with a desire to create an atmosphere conducive to grace, peace, and meaningful communion.

Furthermore, preparing the table is a discipline of preparation. In a fast-paced world, it calls us to slow down, to be present, and to engage in a deliberate act of service. It involves forethought, planning, and often, a willingness to put aside other tasks to focus on creating a welcoming environment. This discipline mirrors the spiritual disciplines in our lives—prayer, fasting, meditation—which require intentionality and effort to yield spiritual fruit. Approaching table preparation with mindfulness and a spirit of prayer transforms it from a secular task into a sacred ritual. It’s a time to pray for your guests, for their needs, for the conversations that will unfold, and for God’s presence to fill the space. This internal posture is what truly sanctifies the space, far more than any physical adornment.

Finally, family participation in table preparation offers a rich opportunity for discipleship. Inviting children, spouses, or housemates to join in the process teaches invaluable lessons in generosity, teamwork, and service. It instills the understanding that hospitality is a shared endeavor, a corporate act of love. Children can learn the joy of contributing, setting out plates, arranging flowers, or helping with the cooking. This not only lightens the load but, more importantly, imprints on their hearts the value of welcoming others and serving together. It’s an incarnational lesson in what it means to be the hands and feet of Christ within the home, preparing a place not just for guests, but for God Himself to be honored.

Preparing the table for hospitality is far more than an item on a checklist. It is a deliberate, joyful, and deeply spiritual act of worship. By embracing stewardship, offering beauty, recognizing symbolism, engaging in disciplined preparation, and involving our families, we transform our dining spaces into consecrated grounds where divine love is manifest, where spirits are refreshed, and where the grace of God can flow freely through shared meals. It is here, in the quiet intentionality of setting the table, that we lay the groundwork for profound biblical hospitality, inviting God’s presence to dwell among us and our guests.

Today is the second in a five-part series that will prayerfully explore the profound role of the dining table in fostering Christ-like hospitality within the home, moving beyond mere functionality to embrace its spiritual, redemptive, and missional significance as an act of obedience, love, and worship.

The dining table should be a sacred altar of God’s grace, a place where His character of welcome and provision is manifest, where relationships are sanctified, and where the Kingdom of God is tangibly extended through shared communion.

It All Begins with Hospitality

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Church leaders need to understand the fact that our competition is not other churches; it’s places that provide WOW! Experiences and to which guests compare our churches.

While that may seem a negative, it can also be turned into a positive by LEARNING from those top-notch places and their leaders.

Take for instance Danny Meyer, the founder and co-owner of multiple top-rated New York restaurants and author of a book entitled “Setting the Table.” Subtitled “The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business,” Meyer shares the lessons he’s learned while developing the winning recipe for doing the business he calls “enlightened hospitality.” They are lessons that the church can learn from. Here’s a sample:

Hospitality is the foundation of my business philosophy. Virtually nothing else is as important as how one is made to feel in any business transaction. Hospitality exists when you believe the other person is on your side. Hospitality is present when something happens for you. It is absent when something happens to you. Those two prepositions – for and to – express it all.

Understanding the distinction between service and hospitality has been at the foundation of our success. Service is the technical delivery of a product. Hospitality is how the delivery of that product makes it recipient feel. Service is a monologue – we decide how we wan to do thins and set our own standards for service. Hospitality, on the other hand, is a dialogue. To be on a guest’s side requires listening to that person with every sense, and following up with a thoughtful, gracious, appropriate response. It takes both great service and great hospitality to rise to the top.

People duck as a natural reflex when something is hurled at them. Similarly, the excellence reflex is a natural reaction to fix something that isn’t right, or to improve something that could be better. The excellence reflex is rooted in instinct and upbringing, and then constantly honed through awareness, caring, and practice. The overarching concern to do the right thing well is there or it isn’t.

Eleven Madison Park, founded by Danny Meyer

Eleven Madison Park, founded by Danny Meyer

What a great learning environment for churches wanting to improve their Guest Services team!

Last week, I posted a series on hospitality based on Le Bernardin, the famous restaurant in NYC owned by Chef Eric Ripert. If this post resonated with you, click on the links below for more.

Creating experiences of hospitality allow for positive, uplifting outcomes for human experiences and human relationships. They will help you connect to people coming in your door week in and week out.

How will you practice hospitality in your church this weekend?

 

photo courtesy Julian, CC

Senses and Sensibility – Getting Back to Basics

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Do you long for the “good old days” when the pace of our lives was simpler and life was slower? As comedian Will Rogers once said,

Things ain’t what they used to be – and probably never was.

There’s no use longing for the good old days. In a world that is:

  • Increasingly hurried
  • Painfully insecure
  • Physically and mentally exhausting
  • Socially and economically fragmented, and
  • Psychologically and emotionally demanding

Millions of people are desperately in need of opportunities to feel:

  • Free from time pressure
  • Safe and secure in their surroundings
  • Pleasantly stimulated, physically and mentally
  • At peace with themselves and others, and
  • Ready to be open-minded, creative, and productive

Organizations that can provide such opportunities by re-imagining the Guest experience will attract an enormous number of Guests in the years ahead and keep them coming back.

Guest experience – in a church? Here’s where the “common sense” comes into play. Just like the business you frequent often, churches delivering experiences that exceed Guest’s expectations are those to which people return, again and again, until they’re no longer Guests but full-fledged members of the church community. When a Guest thinks “Wow!” it is because he or she feels affirmed or valued. The church has said, “You matter.” While you may not be trying to sell a product, your Guest (and potential member) is very much “shopping” for a church. More important, they are shopping for a spiritual experience that addresses their personal needs. Why not make sure you do all in your power to make it happen?

A Potpourri of Guest Improvement Ideas

Visit your church …again – How familiar are you with your own church building and campus? We all tend to get comfortable with our own surroundings and overlook what our Guests see. Try to see your facilities through a fresh set of eyes – your guest’s eyes.

  • How easy is it to drive onto your campus and find convenient parking close to your buildings?
  • What’s the condition of the parking lots, sidewalks, and landscaping?
  • Are there greeters and parking lot helpers to guide you into the building?
  • Are the buildings and rooms identified?
  • Is there a welcome area that is warm and inviting and that has smiling helpful people staffing it?
  • Do you have a café or refreshment area nearby for guests and members?
  • If you have children, it is easy to find the right place for them? Do the security measures in place give you a sense of peace as you leave your child?

Visit another church in your community – What can you learn from visiting another church?

  •  How do they handle parking and greeting?
  • What kinds of signage do they use?
  • How are the people greeting one another? Do feel like they’re invading your “space”, or are you comfortable?
  • When you first walk inside the building, what do you smell?
  • Is the area visually cluttered, or pleasing?
  • What’s the noise level like?
  • Is there a café area? Is it clean?

Overall, does the facility make you feel welcome? How does the personal impact of the people fit in to the surroundings?

Visit other types of places and engage all your senses – The next time you dine out, take on the role of a critic. Not just of the food, but of the total experience.

  •  What are your impressions of the parking area, the restaurant, host/hostess, wait time, staff – and don’t forget the food!
  •  How was the experience?
  • What wowed you?

You’re not trying to find something wrong – you’re trying to train yourself to use all your senses to imagine what Guests are experiencing when they come to your church.

Identify potential distractions – and work to remove them – If your Guests become distracted because they can’t find a place to park, or their children’s room has an odor in it, or whatever, you will have a difficult time re-engaging them for the real experience you’re trying to establish: a personal encounter with Jesus. When you eliminate potential or obvious distractions, you are one step closer to satisfying your Guests.

Company’s coming – are you ready to “WOW” them? Use your common sense to engage all of your Guest’s senses and their first impression will be a positive and lasting one.

Want to know more? Expand your “sensory knowledge” by reading:

  • First Impressions: Creating Wow Experiences in Your Church, Mark L. Waltz
  • The Experience Economy, Updated Edition, Joseph Pine and James Gilmore
  • How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci, Michael J. Gelb
  • The Starbucks Experience, Joseph Michelli
  • The Apple Experience, Carmine Gallo
  • Setting the Table, Danny Meyer
  • Chocolates on the Pillow Aren’t Enough, Jonathan M. Tisch
  • Brand Sense, Martin Lindstrom
  • Moments of Truth, Jan Carlzon
  • Why We Buy, Paco Underhill