Status
Available
Description
No one likes to eat alone; to approach a table filled with people, only to be told that despite the open chairs there isn't room for you. The rejection stings. It leaves a mark. Yet this is exactly what the church has been saying to far too many people for far too long: "You're not welcome here. Find someplace else to sit." How can we extend unconditional welcome and acceptance in a world increasingly marked by bigotry, fear, and exclusion? Pastor John Pavlovitz invites readers to join him on the journey to find -- or build -- a church that is big enough for everyone. He speaks clearly into the heart of the issues the Christian community has been earnestly wrestling with: LGBT inclusion, gender equality, racial tensions, and global concerns. A Bigger Table: Building Messy, Authentic, Hopeful Spiritual Community asks if organized Christianity can find a new way of faithfully continuing the work Jesus began two thousand years ago, where everyone gets a seat. Pavlovitz shares moving personal stories and his careful observations as a pastor to set the table for a new, more loving conversation on these and other important matters of faith. He invites us to build the bigger table Jesus imagined, practicing radical hospitality, total authenticity, messy diversity, and agenda-free community.… (more)
Publication
Westminster John Knox Press (2017), 188 pages
Awards
Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards (Winner — Religion — 2017)
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Other editions
User reviews
LibraryThing member LivelyLady
A big of great reflection and insight on how one man's spiritual journey led him to see that so many religions divide people. Therefore, he talks about the need for "a bigger table," having room for all people at our figurative tables, our spiritual homes. Simply written. Easy to read a chapter and
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then put it down and reflect. He ends the books with an outline of a suggested discussion group. What was interesting was that he began his life as an Italian, NY Catholic. I felt that maybe he could have described a bit more on how he got from Catholic to Protestant. But, again, very thoughtful. I would recommend this to religious leaders, both clergical and laity. It reminded me of the writings of Frs. Richard Rohr and James Martin Show Less
LibraryThing member GramRaye
The author, a protestant pastor, addresses the issue of inclusion versus exclusion in the church family. He states that Jesus ate at table with everybody who asked, no exceptions, ie pharisees, lepers, tax collectors, etc. and we should do the same. He compares the right-wing hardliners with the
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left-wing easy-peasy types and claims they are both out of line. Show Less
LibraryThing member WCHagen
The author argues for building a more inclusive Christian community by stressing the importance of increasing its diversity by welcoming in those who often are, in his opinion, excluded by many Christians. He cites the emulation of Jesus as his authority. Pavlovitz includes in that group racial
Without doubt, the reduction of confrontations would benefit all aspects of our society but blind adherence to Pavlovitz’s plea is ill-advised. Christianity is more than a sociological exercise. His argument is unstructured with each successive chapter differentiated only by clever titles but mainly reiterating the same banalities. His introduction in the uncorrected proof copy reviewed undercut his own thesis and nearly caused me to cast the book into my ‘did not read’ file. He railed against the voters who elected President Trump and made it clear that they were not welcome at his own table. Yes, John, Trump supporters can also be good Christians. I mentally substituted ‘Trump supporter’ for ‘LGBTQ’ in the rest of the book and found it fit rather well.
Pavlovitz uses the term “Spiritual Community” in the book’s subtitle but demonstrates a naïve understanding of the term by adamantly proclaiming the Gospels as biographies. They are not biographies and to claim them to be amplifies the inconsistencies in the times and places of events in the synoptic gospels obscures the spiritual message.
Using a bigger table to symbolize a more diverse Christian community is apt but falls hollow. Two accounts of sharing a table with Jesus come to mind. The first is at the last supper where the invitees were his Disciples—the women who were his followers were not there nor was the landlord of the upper room. Apparently it was by invitation only. The second was with the couple Christ encountered on the road to Emmaus after the crucifixion. He ate alone with them. As for ‘table’, over-turning the money changers’ tables at the temple comes to mind. It was confrontational.
This book is not likely to change anyone’s behavior. If it placates those conflicted on Christian diversity and where to draw the line, it is worth the read. For me, sexuality is not a criteria but I will not support anti-Christian behavior such as building a mosque. I am against providing pyromaniacs with an endless supply of matches regardless of their status as arsonists and I would ask a jihadist wearing a suicide vest to sit at some other table.
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minorities and persons of other faiths but devotes most of his effort on those in the LGBT community. I concur that if an objective measure of sexuality could be devised the distribution would be shown as bimodal with peaks denoting male and female but with significant overlap—sexuality is not black and white and persons should not always be differentiated on that basis.Without doubt, the reduction of confrontations would benefit all aspects of our society but blind adherence to Pavlovitz’s plea is ill-advised. Christianity is more than a sociological exercise. His argument is unstructured with each successive chapter differentiated only by clever titles but mainly reiterating the same banalities. His introduction in the uncorrected proof copy reviewed undercut his own thesis and nearly caused me to cast the book into my ‘did not read’ file. He railed against the voters who elected President Trump and made it clear that they were not welcome at his own table. Yes, John, Trump supporters can also be good Christians. I mentally substituted ‘Trump supporter’ for ‘LGBTQ’ in the rest of the book and found it fit rather well.
Pavlovitz uses the term “Spiritual Community” in the book’s subtitle but demonstrates a naïve understanding of the term by adamantly proclaiming the Gospels as biographies. They are not biographies and to claim them to be amplifies the inconsistencies in the times and places of events in the synoptic gospels obscures the spiritual message.
Using a bigger table to symbolize a more diverse Christian community is apt but falls hollow. Two accounts of sharing a table with Jesus come to mind. The first is at the last supper where the invitees were his Disciples—the women who were his followers were not there nor was the landlord of the upper room. Apparently it was by invitation only. The second was with the couple Christ encountered on the road to Emmaus after the crucifixion. He ate alone with them. As for ‘table’, over-turning the money changers’ tables at the temple comes to mind. It was confrontational.
This book is not likely to change anyone’s behavior. If it placates those conflicted on Christian diversity and where to draw the line, it is worth the read. For me, sexuality is not a criteria but I will not support anti-Christian behavior such as building a mosque. I am against providing pyromaniacs with an endless supply of matches regardless of their status as arsonists and I would ask a jihadist wearing a suicide vest to sit at some other table.
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LibraryThing member brewergirl
The author grew up Catholic, became a pastor in a megachurch environment, and then left (got fired) because of his changed view of what Jesus was calling him to do. He is still a pastor but in a more progressive congregation. Much of the book is about how he came to realize that his view of
Overall, I found this to be more of a "why" book than a "how" book. I think he paints a clear picture of how radical a shift this was for him personally and how he believes he is now living a more Christ-like life. I found it a bit repetitive, but I thought it was a worthwhile and thought-provoking read.
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Christianity was narrow and exclusive and his struggles with accepting that he was called to be more expansive and inclusive. He gives examples of how he and his church have tried to do that -- through hospitality, authenticity, diversity, and being agenda-free. Overall, I found this to be more of a "why" book than a "how" book. I think he paints a clear picture of how radical a shift this was for him personally and how he believes he is now living a more Christ-like life. I found it a bit repetitive, but I thought it was a worthwhile and thought-provoking read.
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LibraryThing member chgstrom
The author discusses the need for Christians to include everyone in their community - those who are different from them, those who disagree with them, even those who believe different things. He spends a lot of time talking about including the LGBT community. He's honest about how this is not an
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easy thing to do and how he has struggled with this personally. I found it refreshing and it gave me a lot to think about. Hopefully it will change how I interact with people. Show Less
LibraryThing member WillowOne
Right now, when discussions are happening in many denominations and churches about inclusion this is a book that I felt I needed to read. Reading this Pastor's story about how he realized how narrow his view point was and worked at expanding it was refreshing. This book talks about the need to be
I was given a copy of this book for the purposes of review.
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more Christ like and to quit judging those around us. We are to love our neighbor as ourselves and as Christ loves us. If it gets messy in the process, so be it. We were never promised easy. We were promised that it could get uncomfortable but He would be with us every step.I was given a copy of this book for the purposes of review.
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LibraryThing member morningrob
The question I kept asking after each chapter was why was this book written? For those who have read his blog you basically get he book. It’s not bad but it’s not really needed.
LibraryThing member vpfluke
This book sets out to break the shackles of confinement that a lot of churches find themselves in. The erstwhile pastor and blogger attempts to show why and how churches can embrace more people wherever they are. There are people who are distressed by traditional religion, but yet feel a connection
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to God somehow, and might describe themselves as spiritual. The bigger table where anyone might meet ones faith or even meet Jesus is at the fellowship of the table. There are four legs: radical hospitality, total authenticity, true diversity, and an agenda-free community. This means not pre-judging people, not hiding behind a false front, being really diverse (racial and sexual), and not having a church who secretly lay out a path for acceptance. Pavlovitz we need to address our fear in ourselves and in other people to b really the church. All this can be messy and the author doesn't lay out a specific paradigm that one has to follow, maybe the Holy Spirit is the director. Show Less
LibraryThing member keylawk
Pastor Pavlovitz explores the size of God, the size of his table, and why we have diversity and what that means for hospitality. Get used to it, because religion cannot thrive if it presumes facts not in evidence. Pavlovitz is a response to the Right Wing that wants to start an uncivil war in the
This book is filled with powerful anecdotes for justification. We are saved by "community"; the message is "take courage" and give hope.
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Church, and thinks that an adulterating serial liar and slandering hatemonger who has never been spotted in a Church is somehow worthy of a rapture of any kind. OK, that's just my own take on context.This book is filled with powerful anecdotes for justification. We are saved by "community"; the message is "take courage" and give hope.
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LibraryThing member ehallett
I'm pretty much a pacifist-Christian anarchist. Pavlovitz is a liberal democrat. His work gets old after a while; this book's antagonism toward Trump and his supporters is perfectly understandable but it gets old fast. Still it makes some good points and is worth a read. Quickly. And without
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spending too much energy on it. Others make the same points better without alienating people. Show Less
LibraryThing member JRobinW
Important read for the Christian church,