Words of Welcome
Prayer
Dear God, we thank you for this meal and the joy of sharing it with friends. We ask that you bless this food to nourish our bodies and conversations to uplift our spirits. May our time together be filled with laughter, love, and meaningful connection. We are grateful for your presence in our lives and for the gift of community. Amen.
GRAB FOOD AND START TO EAT
If there is someone you don’t recognize at your table Introduce yourself:
Name and Pronouns
What do you do full time? Work, school, etc. and what do you do/study?
If you could have an unlimited supply of one thing, what would it be?
Thoughts from Pastor Alexis
“Sometimes, love your neighbor and love your enemy are the same thing.”
SCRIPTURE
John 13:1-5 (CEB)
Before the Festival of Passover, Jesus knew that his time had come to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them fully.
2 Jesus and his disciples were sharing the evening meal. The devil had already provoked Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew the Father had given everything into his hands and that he had come from God and was returning to God. 4 So he got up from the table and took off his robes. Picking up a linen towel, he tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a washbasin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he was wearing.
Rev. Lizzie McManus-Dail
“Mercy is rarely palatable. And I don’t think Jesus intends for mercy to be palatable - but we want digestible grace.”
Archbishop Desmund Tutu
”In forgiving, people are not being asked to forget.”
Questions:
What do you need to be free of to receive mercy and forgiveness?
What do yo need to be set free from to extend mercy?
What mercy is yours to give, and what mercy do you need Jesus to offer?
Blessing
May the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; may the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26 (NIV)
REMEMBER - YOU ARE A GIFT!
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