A bigger table : building messy, authentic, and hopeful spiritual community

A bigger table Building messy, authentic, and hopeful spiritual community

John Pavlovitz

Book - 2017

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.

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Location Call Number   Status
2nd Floor 261/Pavlovitz Checked In
Subjects
Christianity and culture > United States.
Published
Louisville, KY : Westminster John Knox Press 2017.
Language
English
Main Author
John Pavlovitz (author)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
xiii, 192 pages ; 20 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN
9780664262679
  • Introduction: A Wednesday Morning in November
  • Part I. Big God, Small Table
  • 1. Finding My Place
  • 2. When in Rome
  • 3. Going against the Family
  • 4. Earthquakes and Aftershocks
  • 5. The Truth Shall Get You Fired
  • Part II. Building the Bigger Table
  • 6. Jesus the Table Setter
  • 7. Radical Hospitality
  • 8. Total Authenticity
  • 9. True Diversity
  • 10. Agenda-Free Community
  • Part III. Under Construction
  • 11. Show Them the Ocean
  • 12. Bullies, Bibles, and Bullhorns
  • 13. Pharisees, Heresies, and Least-Lovers
  • 14. The Church Will Be Queer
  • 15. Mama Bear Hugs and Mama Dragon Fire
  • 16. A Pastor, a Rabbi, and an Imam Walk into a Bar
  • 17. Fear Less
  • 18. Is the Table Really Big Enough?
  • Acknowledgments
  • A Word for Pastors
  • Discussion Guide
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Pavlovitz, blogger and pastor from Wake Forest, N.C., opens his welcoming text with his view that the shock election of Donald Trump ushered in a movement of grief that has morphed into a larger movement against injustice. He then details his gradual move from conservative Christianity to a more inclusive stance, which caused him much personal pain and internal angst as friends and congregation members shunned his ideas. Conservative readers may not agree with Pavlovitz's positions on issues such as homosexuality and gender equality, but they will appreciate the wisdom and good sense he imparts regarding loving service, humble civility, and selflessness in a largely self-involved society. Addressing a conservative audience, Pavlovitz takes pains to ground his arguments in scriptural references and writes with an eloquence and deep sense of care toward the church as an institution. Regardless of what theological stance readers live by, Pavlovitz will inspire reflection with valid points on the importance of going directly to God's word for marching orders. Agent: Sharon Pelletier, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

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