On The Table

Hi church,

Welcome to Lent. In the Christian year, Lent is a time of self-examination, of turning an appraising eye inward and asking God's help in seeing - and working on - those parts of ourselves that are in need of further transformation. Often this takes the form of simplification ("giving something up"), or the adoption of a new spiritual practice, or just a simple inventory of our habits and patterns to examine where we're living as we believe God would have us live, and where we aren't.

In Common Table's short history, we've developed a few traditions that help us, as a community, approach Lent in much the same way. So we've often simplified our worship services and our shared meals, given up Chipotle (giving the money to somebody who needs it), or adopted a new daily practice of reflection on Lenten art or devotions (thanks, Ben!) We've often hearkened back to our church's "Plowing Under" period - a time of simplicity and discernment in the context of an open-ended leap of faith.

This year, we've been talking with folks at New Hope Fellowship, a wonderful congregation made up of over 50% homeless folks, about a plan for partnership between our two communities - a partnership that might allow Common Table to do all of these things, and more, together with New Hope, as we journey jointly through Lent to Easter.

Please join us at Jammin' Java at 10am on Sunday, March 1st, as we begin to explore what that journey might look like.

And may God bless us all during this season of repentance, forgiveness, and grace.

Peace,
Mike Croghan

Labels: lent, New Hope

Hi church!

This isn't a "regular" weekend - but there's a lot going on, just the same!

This is the last Sunday of the month, and therefore it's the weekend when we do our monthly service-worship project instead of gathering for a worship service at Jammin' Java. But this weekend, we'll do both, sort of. How can this be? I'll tell you! Our service project this month will be cleaning Jammin' Java (starting at 10am Sunday)! We'll get to give back a bit to our very gracious, long-term hosts - and also feel a little better about our kids crawling around on the floors there. :-) So join us!

And if you're hankering for a worship experience that doesn't involve sucking black stuff out of carpets - have we got a deal for you! Two of them, actually.

At 10:50am on Sunday (yes, same time as the service-worship project), our own Jen Way will be leading worship music with the folks at New Hope Fellowship. This is a wonderful congregation, half of whom are homeless, and we are hoping to find ways to partner with this community during Lent. So feel free to join Jen and our friends at New Hope, especially if you have musical gifts (though you'll be 100% welcomed in any case!).

And then, Sunday afternoon will be your second chance to experience the special journey through music called "Love's Divine".

Drawing from a number of compelling tunes (Sade, Alanis Morissette, Death Cab for Cutie, Seal, Mute Math) which authentically express our longings, satisfaction, comfort, healing, and disappointments with love, we'll interact with the live performance of these songs and try to listen to them through the lens of our individual relationship with God, and God's relationship with us (as best as we can imagine that).

Please join us at The Worship Lab at Convergence at 5pm, Sunday the 22nd.

And that's about it for this week. Next Wednesday is Ash Wednesday and the start of the season of Lent. May we all begin that season open to God and ready to have our hearts turned radically around.

Peace,
Mike Croghan

P.S. I just noticed - this is our 100th "On The Table" since we've been doing it with this current technology. This has been your meaningless milestone advisory for the week. Carry on.

Labels: music, New Hope, service-worship

Hey church!

Firstly! The cat's out of the bag on a joyful little (big!) news item. Welcome, Anna Lucia Katherine Stavlund!

Secondly! Like that awesome moment when the five robotic lions combine to form Voltron, representatives of the sundry Common Table Design Teams (who envision and create our Creative, Musical, All-Ages, and Simple worship services) will be coming together this Saturday at 11am at Casa de Maisel to talk about our plans for Lent. If you have thoughts on this topic, you are cordially invited to show up and share them, or drop us a line if you can't make it but have some ideas.

Thirdly! On Sunday morning, 10am, we'll gather at Jammin' Java for our February Simple Service, "Love Songs". It's a bit of a takeoff on the themes of this past Sunday's epic musical service, Love's Divine (which we'll be repeating at Convergence's Artist Lab at 5pm Sunday the 22nd of February - don't miss it!)

Here's the idea for this coming Sunday: Think of a love song that is meaningful to you. Doesn't matter what kind: secular or sacred, any genre - pick a song which speaks to you and helps you understand something about love. (As you may have heard, God is Love; and also, Love's Divine.) Bring your song on a CD, or on an MP3 player. We'll play each person's track, and then give you a chance to tell us what it means to you (if you want to). That's it! Bring tracks! Or we'll have to come up with something else to do! :-)

And that's all I know. May your winter days be blessed, as we look forward to spring, and Lent, and Easter.

Peace,
Mike Croghan

Labels: lent, simple

Hey, church!

Wow...I'm speechless with a big Cheshire grin on my face. It is my distinct honor and pleasure to announce the birth of Common Table's newest member. Stacy and Mike and Ella Stavlund welcomed Ella's little sister (no word yet on her name) into their family and our community late Thursday, February 5th, 2009. She is 7 lbs., 3 oz., and has dark hair. Everyone is healthy. Please join us in joy and thanksgiving as we celebrate the amazing gift of the littlest Stav! Yaaaahooooo! :-D (Check out a picture and share your congrats right here!)

And, appropriately enough, we have a HUGE community celebration planned for this coming Sunday morning. Common Table invites you to be part of a special journey through music as we continue in our 2009 series exploring God's love with a worship service called "Love's Divine".

In this service we will draw from a number of compelling tunes (Sade, Alanis Morissette, Death Cab for Cutie, Seal, Mute Math) which authentically express our longings, satisfaction, comfort, healing, as well as disappointments with love.

Our twist, as we interact with the live performance of these songs, will be to listen to them through the lens of our individual relationship with God, and God's relationship with us (as best as we can imagine that).

First showing will be with Common Table @ Jammin' Java at 10am Sunday the 8th of February.

Second showing will be at Convergence' Artist Lab at 5pm Sunday the 22nd of February.

Please join us for one or both of these services. They will be (and I truly feel this bears repeating) epic.

And congratulations, you Stavs!!!!!

Peace, joy,
Mike Croghan

Labels: God loves us, music, Stavlunds