The Kingdom of God is Like … a Table (1)
The idea was simple: create a space where everyone is welcome and everyone is fed.
A simple lunch of soup and bread became something much more during Lent this year, as Christians from Baptist, Catholic and Uniting congregations across the Glenbrook–Blaxland area gathered around a shared table after their respective morning services.
The idea was simple: create a space where everyone is welcome and everyone is fed.
Soups were prepared by members of each congregation and brought along to the gathering. Alongside the soup and bread, participants also raised funds for Gateway Family Services, a local organisation providing vital support to families in need across the region.
For many believers, Lent is a time to slow down, simplify life, and remember the call to compassion and generosity. Sharing a humble lunch together echoes ancient practices of fasting and almsgiving, reminding participants that faith is not only something to be believed but something to be lived.
For the churches involved, the gathering also represented a continued meaningful act of unity. While Baptists, Catholics and members of the Uniting Church each carry their own traditions, liturgies and theological emphases, the Lenten lunch offered an opportunity to focus on what they hold in common: a shared commitment to love God and neighbour.
“This initiative originally grew out of my friendship with local Catholic and Baptist clergy. We hoped to extend the joy we had found in sharing a meal with our congregations,” said Rev. Ellie Elia of the initiative. “When my colleague changed placements, I wasn’t sure it would keep going. What a delight to find that it was the members of the other churches who were asking for our Lenten Soup and Bread to continue. “
Ecumenical gatherings such as this one create space for those differences to be respected while building deeper relationships between communities of faith. Rather than setting traditions aside, participants bring them to the table, discovering that collaboration reveals new possibilities for gatherings such as this.
The spirit of cooperation was especially evident in the choice of beneficiary for the morning’s fundraising. Gateway Family Services works closely with families experiencing hardship, offering practical assistance, counselling and support during difficult times. By supporting this local organisation, the churches were able to turn a shared lunch into tangible help for neighbours who may be struggling.
In this way, the Lenten gathering became more than a symbolic act. It became a practical expression of the Gospel’s call to care for those in need.
Just as importantly, the lunch offered something that many people hunger for today: community. Around the tables, people shared in community along with the simple joy of sitting down together with bread and soup.
In current world climate is shaped by fear, suspicion and division, such moments of shared humanity matter.
The hope of those gathered in Glenbrook and Blaxland is that this small but meaningful tradition will continue to grow in the years ahead. By coming together in humility, generosity and fellowship, churches can model a different way of gathering together in hospitality, compassion and cooperation.
Sometimes the most powerful witness is also the simplest.
A bowl of soup.
A piece of bread.
And a table where everyone is welcome.
The hope of those gathered in Glenbrook and Blaxland is that this small but meaningful tradition will continue to grow in the years ahead. By coming together in humility, generosity and fellowship, churches can model a different way of gathering together in hospitality, compassion and cooperation.
