In a previous post, we outlined the third part of our vision, to be relational disciples of Jesus Christ. This means that we intentionally pursue relationships with God, the Church, and the world. To describe these three relationships, we use the term 'table'. We explained in that post that the biblical imagery of table fellowship backs the kind of relationships we want to have.
So what of the First Table? Here we approach relationship with God.
Every Sunday, as we come to the table of Holy Communion, we pray the prayer Jesus taught us to pray, saying, "Our Father, who art in heaven..." We claim to pray this boldly. As Pope Benedict XVI says, addressing God as father sums up the whole plan of redemption. Anglican theologian J.I. Packer calls adoption the "heart of the gospel." What does this mean?
We are born looking for love, wandering homeless and hoping for a place to arrive at last in true contentment. When God saves us, he adopts us as his children in Jesus Christ, and brings us back into full relationship with himself. This relationship is the foundation of all else for the Christian.
The first part of our strategy for forming disciples who are rooted, restful, and relational is to pursue relationship with our heavenly Father. We do this through worship, prayer, studying Scripture, and more. We offer ourselves to him in our every day lives, by paying attention to him and his presence as we work, play, sleep, and eat.
The beginning of the Christian life is to see and savor God as Father, the one who saves and adopts us as his own.
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