In a world where we can buy almost anything (and order most of it online), “community” is a bit of an outlier. It’s not available as a commodity, and there is no one person that can make it happen. I like to say, “the community is what the community makes”. At The Table, we’ve been busy for the past decade or so making a space where people can explore what they believe. As you might imagine, having that as our reason for existence means that the community itself is always evolving. It continues to be defined by those making it. All to say…if you’re curious about The Table, the best thing to do is come and check it out.

A word about gender, sexuality and community at The Table:

The Table is a community for all kinds of human beings. For real. No limits on engagement or participation. In “church land”, the language of “affirming” is sometimes used. Maybe that’s an adequate place to start, because it can signal something much better than “judgemental” or “denying”. However, it also feels like it comes up short because it can carry with it the notion that institutions are somehow qualified to choose whether someone’s identity is legitimate or not. The Table is not interested in doing that.

So, if you’re looking for a community that everyone can call “theirs”, The Table is that sort of place. You’re welcome.

What follows are a few details for those considering dropping by and a couple of glimpses of who we are, as expressed by some of the folks that consider The Table their place.

Details First:
We have a “not quite standard” schedule for gatherings. It goes like this:

1st Sunday of the month: something we call alt.Sunday. Could be a film and discussion, someone in the community sharing what they are learning, reading, thinking about, games, a shared meal…it varies.

2nd Sunday: something we call Full Circle Sunday. Music, Community Time (a chance to talk about what’s going on in our lives), a “Talky Bit” (some exploration of an idea pertaining to the exploration of belief), something for the littles (we call that “The Kids Table”), more music. Sometimes we replace the music with something else that is meditative. You get the drift.

3rd Sunday: the second alt.Sunday of the month. See above for the outline; show up in-person for the always-changing details.

4th Sunday: Full Circle Sunday – same broad outlines as the 2nd Sunday of the month.

5th Sunday: (when there is one): alt.Sunday – same “who knows?” as the first and third Sundays. Always an adventure. Exploring what you believe is kinda like that.

The where is at VA Café, 171 McDermot Avenue, in the lower level event space. Watch the handy orientation video below!

– Tim Plett

To me, The Table is…

… for me anyway, a place where I can bring my authentic self, be quiet or express it, and feel, supported, heard and accepted, with absolutely no pressure. It also feels like a massage for my soul and mind, each and every time I show up. (Lisa)

… a place (community), to detox from the conformities of the impracticalities of formal religious laws, rules, regulations and expectations that often hinder spiritual growth.

Back to/reminders of the simplicities of faith. Allowing opportunities for me to nurture, develop and explore my spiritual journey as intended too; from the context of the unique challenges of life that come my way. (Greg)

… a reminder of the openness of God to invite us to be loved. There’s always an atmosphere of acceptance and a willingness to allow the unknown and unanswerable to resonate. Life is a confounding thing, in which joy, peace, hope, despair, hostility, and pain abound, and The Table gives us freedom to simply be. To be in hope and despair, in peace and hostility, in joy and sorrow, without guilt. We people are a juxtaposition, and Jesus seemed to be okay with that when he walked the earth hanging out with all sort of juxtapositions, and being a terrific paradox himself.

At The Table we gather in and around the paradox and the juxtaposition of deity and humanity, and find ourselves surrounded by love and holiness, struck with awe and inspiration. And a healthy sense of humor at the conundrums of life and humanness.  (Jason)

… an open and flexible community of persons in diverse stages of Christ-centric spiritual growth and exploration, who gather together to consider the big and small questions of life in a meaningful, respectful, and inclusive physical space that extends through other media (the Internet) to increase accessibility.  (Karen)

… a place where I can come when I want to be around people and talking about faith on a Sunday morning, but I don’t feel up for being in a place where I am expected to be on board with the things that are happening or being said.

(Tara)

…an open and accepting community one can come to both with and without expectations.

…A safe space to ponder, doubt and explore what I believe about God, the universe and what it means to be human. (Katherine)

Someone once told me by way of analogy that a rancher can do 2 things to keep cattle. One is to put up fences, the second is to provide a watering hole. The Table does not put up boundaries about who is in or out, we don’t have theological statements or lists of our main beliefs. It is a watering hole, a place where people are their true selves with each other, free to explore, question, doubt, disagree, laugh, cry and journey together. In some ways fences feel safer, but this feels more whole. (Judi)

… as much religiosity as I can handle.

… a space where who one is, is more important than what anyone believes. (Tim)