KEEPING THE FAITH | Make a place at the table for all of God’s children
As we gather around the table to give thanks this holiday, look around and see who is not among you. While we are grateful to have a place at the table, if we open our eyes, we’ll realize that there is room for others to join us. Luke 14:1-24 gives us a vision that the kingdom of God is like a great banquet table.
The social life of Jesus was “complicated” as it kept Him in trouble. His attempts at social life often created controversy. Jesus made it a regular practice to eat with sinners, which was a behavior denounced by the religious leaders.
My brother Terry Vicar offered a profound observation of the Jesus of Nazareth in the Gospels. It was clear by the behavior of the savior that He openly invited and engaged people deemed unworthy and untouchable by society — and even religion’s standards — to sit at the table and dine with him. He was passionate about this reign of God wherein unconditional love would be the order of the day!
As a former refugee himself, He was animated about and devoted to the sacred Scriptures that insisted we welcome the strangers among us. He said, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” He also noted: “As often as you do it to the least of these my sisters and brothers you do it to Me!” Yes, He completely and totally identified His ministry with the poor — the “untouchables.”
It was Jesus who said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute,” as well as commanding us to be peacemakers, turn the other cheek, feed the hungry, clothe the naked and visit the imprisoned.
“Do to others as you would have them do to you — you are salt for the earth and light for the world,” he said.
Good Sunday morning and let us all who endeavor to follow Him bring such powerful love and abiding good will to our daily lives, our politics — that our principles may be shaped by His powerful message of inclusion and welcome.
From the story of the Good Samaritan to the story of the Prodigal Son; from the story of Jesus embracing the lepers to dining with a prostitute, dining with “untouchables” to healing the many deemed unworthy by the “upright,” He was on fire with an upside down kingdom where the last would be first and the first, last.
“Set the prisoners free!” He insisted in His opening words from the pulpit. Here was a revolutionary who put the welfare of the least ahead of the conventions of his day, the law of God’s love ahead of the laws of man — made as they were meant to favor the haves and keep the have-nots locked out.
“But fear not,” His words cleverly twisted through the centuries to the point that in America, “Christians” who went to church each Sunday practiced the most gruesome, barbaric, demeaning and horrific kind of slavery the world had ever seen. When God’s hand intervened and “set them free,” it was followed by a hundred-plus years of Jim Crow laws that seethed with hatred and the vilest forms of racism.
So yes, this Holy Day let us proclaim His gospel message in its entirety and embrace a kind of love that accepts and welcomes ALL people, red or yellow, black or white!
If there is not a place at the table for all of God’s children, then let us tear the table down and build a new one that has a place for ALL Allah’s children.
Recognize that Black lives matter and there’s no such thing as illegal human beings. Wrap our arms around our LGBTQ+ sisters and brothers, lift up our families who depend on SNAP to put food on the table and banish forever the idea that some are unworthy or untouchable because of their origins or the poverty they are born into or the orientation they are born with!
We need to ask ourselves some probing questions: Who does God want at His table? How big is God’s table? Who belongs at the Table? And, ultimately, how inclusive is the table? I am praying today and always that we become even more determined to make a place at the table for ALL of the children of our human family. In truth, there is “Room at the Table” for everyone!
Victoria’s Vision
Keeping the passion of love of the late community advocate Vicki Turnage Allen alive and vibrant, there will be a community giveaway of free coats, hats, gloves and boots for men, women and children from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at 3025 South Ave., which is the old fire station in Youngstown. Appointments are appreciated by calling 330-519-9851, but walk-ins are welcome from 2 to 4 p.m.
Thanksgiving Dinners and Services
Boardman United Methodist Church, 6809 Market St., will host the community concert series “Giving Thanks” at 2 p.m. today. The concert will feature Lydia Andres, a violinist from Boardman. A free-will donation will be taken to benefit the Jefferson Area High School Choral program.
Pastor Joseph Walker, who serves as president of the Trumbull County Ministerial Alliance, is welcoming the community to attend the organization’s Thanksgiving service at 6 p.m. today. The worship service will be held at Restoration Christian Fellowship Church, 760 Main Ave. SW, Warren, and the guest preacher will be Bishop David L. Herron of Monument of Faith Church of God in Christ.
Pastor Mary Hall and the Fifth Avenue Community Church, 1361 Fifth Ave., Youngstown, invites you to attend the annual free Thanksgiving dinner at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. Thanksgiving worship service for all ages will follow. Come and give thanks to the Lord for all He has done.
Day by Day
Youngstown State University is staging the rock musical “Godspell” in Ford Theater in Bliss Hall. “Godspell” brings life to the parables of Jesus from the book of Matthew. The show closes out with its final performance at 2 p.m. today.
Initial Ministry Sermons
Pastor James Bowie and the congregation of Greater Friendship Baptist Church, 646 Lakewood Ave., Youngstown, will present Shelly Barnes and Theresa Williams for their initial sermon and acceptance to the call of ministry. The service will be held at 3 p.m. Dec. 4. Apostle Paul shares in Philippians 4:3: “And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News.”
Shop Local
Nov. 26 is Small Business Saturday, so please support the third annual Shop Local holiday extravaganza, which will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Saxon Club, 710 S. Meridian Road. Admission is $3, and local vendors will have merchandise for purchase to help you complete your holiday shopping.
Paw Smartz
Spend an afternoon brushing up on caring for your family’s animal companions, sponsored by the Marjorie Hartman Family Foundation and hosted by Buster’s Brigade and YSU PreVet Society, from 3 to 5 p.m. Dec. 10. The event will feature activities, games, snacks and prizes for children. Speakers will provide information on pet care, grooming and handling. The event will be held in the DeBartolo Hall at YSU, with free parking at the M70 lot on Fifth Avenue. No pets, please!
Wellness Continues
It’s hard to believe that the Mahoning Valley African American Male Wellness Walk will be celebrating its 10th year in our community. As the founding local coordinator, it has truly been a labor of love. However, I will be transitioning this role into the capable hands of Elder John Michael Oliver. I consented to serve as the 2023 honorary chairman for the walk and will still have some significant involvement in the planning and execution of this vital community project.
Overcome By Our Testimony
The mighty power of God is able to do all things. God was able to help the Israelites overcome many battles and enemies who were far greater than them. God is still in the business of helping us overcome all problems and challenges that appear to be bigger than us. They may be bigger than us, but they will never be bigger than God. We are God’s children, and He will see us through everything we face. 1 John 4:4 reminds us: “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.”
Dear God, we thank you that we can be at peace in every challenging situation because we know there is nothing that will ever be too big or too much for You. Thank you for always seeing us through every phase of our lives. You are a faithful God, and we shall continue to always keep the faith!
