A Meal Fit by the King: The Invitation

It’s Advent. It’s time to come to the table. Taste disruption and honesty, be nourished by hope and presence, be surprised by joy and mystery, and celebrate the sweetness of God’s love.

We’ve finished the appetizers. Six days of disruption, honesty, care, arrival, emotion, and presence have awakened our spiritual palate. Advent has begun with sharp flavors and grounding tastes, preparing us for the feast ahead.

Now, you are invited to the main course—to sit down and dig into a different portion each day. This Advent, we will move from appetizers to the hearty nourishment of hope and courage, then to the stimulating side dishes of joy and mystery, and finally to the sweet celebration of love and light.

Jesus himself told a story about a banquet:

 “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’”

(Luke 14:16–17)

But many of those invited made excuses. They were too busy, too distracted, too caught up in their own affairs. So the master sent his servant into the streets and alleys, inviting the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame. He filled the table with those who were willing to come.

Advent is that invitation. It is God saying, “Come, the banquet is ready.”

•         Taste disruption and honesty—the appetizers that awaken us.

•         Be nourished by hope and presence—the main course that sustains us.

•         Be surprised by joy and mystery—the side dishes that delight us.

•         Celebrate the sweetness of God’s love—the dessert that satisfies us.

This is not a meal of waiting, but of arriving. Not a table of scarcity, but of abundance. Not a feast for the few, but for all who will come.

So pull up a chair. Quiet your heart. Open your soul. The King has prepared a meal, and it is fit for you—because he has made it to share with you.

Reach over and take a piece of the warm bread of hope. It has just come out of the oven, ready for the butter—or even the jam—of your heart to be spread upon it. Pick up the wine and take a sip. We are called to participate by joining him, becoming one with him in living life fully.