Table Community Covenant - 2025
A mentor* of mine recently said, “When we are theologically weak…When we are formationally shallow…we tend to be relationally dangerous.” It seems we are witnessing the result of this quote in our current chaotic times. As we engage with Mary, the Mother of Jesus as an archetype figure in Scripture, we see her inverting the aforementioned quote. Mary was theologically sound! Mary was formationally rooted! Mary was relationally peaceful (and hopeful, joyful, loving)! Over the next year, The Table Community will strive to practice akin to Mary! We want to strive to become more theologically sound, formationally rooted, and relationally peaceful so that we might join with God in the inverting of our current chaotic culture in Portland, Maine.
+ Mary was theologically sound! = She put trust in the faithful God who Israel’s prophets spoke about long ago! She encountered the Missio Dei - the Missional / Sending God through the angel Gabriel…and she responded with, “Here am I!” “May it be.” As a result, she embodied the Incarnation - God with us! She literally embodied God incarnate (in-flesh-ment) in her womb! - Her archetype invites us to respond in similar ways.
+ Mary was formationally rooted! = She was formed by the Torah. Likely she would have had much of the first 5 books of the OT memorized. She was rooted! Mary was also spiritually formed by the Prophets & Prophetesses. Likely she borrowed from Miriam’s song (Exodus 15), Deborah’s song (Judges 5), and Hannah’s prayer (1 Samuel 2) to compose her Magnificat in Luke 1:46-55. She was rooted in the Word - both written Word and living Word which was Jesus. She was also vigilant in her anticipation of the Messiah’s arrival: She waited, she watched, she pondered, she protected. Her archetype calls us to be formationally rooted in similar ways.
+ Mary was relationally peaceful! = Mary’s Magnificat is a marvelous song describing the way God / Her Son / the Christ will interact in the world. Mary depicts the way Jesus’ mission from God is a peace that defies the way the world is organized. The Messiah will bring about peace and justice in order to cultivate shalom (wholeness) for all of Creation. Mary extended peace! Many scholars believe that Mary likely moved to Ephesus later in her life and helped support Paul’s missionary work because she whole-heartedly believed in God’s Mission/Sending/Incarnation. Mary was more than a pious, little girl, she was a person of peace who partnered with other people of peace in the midst of chaos! Mary was an example of the Way of Jesus by extending the Table through tangible partnerships of peace.
This coming year the Table Elders ask our community to covenant being theologically sound, formationally rooted, and relationally peaceful by embracing a common SET of practices.
Please consider our incarnational pact for 2025: Table Community Covenant
- Pr. David
*Quote by Jeff Krajewski of Common Ground Christian Church