February 3, 2025 The Grace That Goes Before
February 3, 2025
The Grace that Goes Before
Communion Sunday is always my favorite Sunday of the month. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy every Sunday, but there is a deep mystery that occurs on Communion Sunday in the United Methodist church that I’ve not experienced elsewhere.
I’ve talked with many people about their first experience at the open table, and each story, is unique and certainly guided by God. Several years ago, a friend of mine who had not stepped foot in a church in years, shared her story with me. I find it to be moving and lifegiving.
She, like so many people, wasn’t sure she belonged in church anymore. Life wasn’t always easy for her. The previous 10-15 years were rough – she was dealing with the shame and guilt of a mountain of mistakes, regrets, and a lingering belief and feeling that if God was real, then he had surely forgotten about her. Then one Sunday, while walking past a United Methodist Church in her new neighborhood, she noticed a sign out front: “Communion Sunday – All Are Welcome at This Table.”
Something about seeing those words stopped her in her tracks. She certainly had no plans to go inside, she was out for her morning walk, and clearly not dressed for church; she was in her workout clothes. But before she could give her clothes a second thought, her feet walked her up the steps and through the front doors. She quietly slid into the back pew, hoping no one would notice.
She enjoyed the service. When it came time for communion, the pastor stood behind the table and said, “this is not our table, it is Christ’s table. And Christ invites all to come.” My friend said reading the sign was one thing, but to hear the pastor extend this invitation, impacted her deeply. She remembers trying to make sense of it in her mind. All? Even me?
The ushers released her row. Hesitantly, she stepped out and moved toward the communion rail. When she reached the from, an older women placed the bread in her hand and she heard the words for the first time, “the body of Christ, broken for you.” For me?
She then took the bread and dipped it into the cup. As she tasted the bread and the juice, she said something began to stir within. She couldn’t explain it, but in that precious moment, she felt seen. She knew she had found a new home.
What she didn’t realize is God’s prevenient grace had been moving, wooing her all along – in the nudge that led her past the church, in the words of invitation on the sign, in the gentle welcome of a stranger offering bread. Long before she recognized it, God had been drawing her near, preparing her heart for this moment of grace.
What a gift it is to know that God’s prevenient grace is always at work, often in ways we don’t see or understand. It moves in the small moments – the unexpected invitation, the kindness of a stranger, and the quiet stirring of our hearts.
The United Methodist open table reminds us that God is always inviting, always calling, always making room. And whether we recognize it or not, grace is leading us where we need to be.
Reflection:
- Have you ever had an experience where you felt drawn toward God before you even realized it? Looking back, how do you see prevenient grace at work?
- How does the United Methodist “open table” reflect the idea of prevenient grace?
- In what ways do you think God might be working in someone’s life before they recognize it?
Prayer: Gracious God, thank you for the gift of your grace – always present, always inviting, always at work in our lives. Even when we do not see it, you are drawing us closer to you. Open our hearts to recognize your love, to trust in you leading us and to extend the same grace to others. Guide us in each season of our journey, and helps us to walk in kindness, mercy, and love. May we rest in knowing that we are always welcome at your table. Amen.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Kellie