Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Evangelical
Food and Religion
This Is the Lord’s Table: A Sacred Pause for Examination

This Is the Lord’s Table: A Sacred Pause for Examination

Last updated on: July 1, 2025 at 12:40 am by Jeff McLain

0 Comments

This Is the Lord’s Table: A Sacred Pause for Examination 2025-07-01T00:40:39-04:00 Jeff McLain

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Photo by Rishabh Dharmani on Unsplash.

The Lord’s Table is a powerful opportunity to examine ourselves in a way that moves us towards repentance and confession, and ultimately to greater spiritual transformation and infilling of the Spirit. As we come to the Table, we envision Jesus at the head, inviting us in. There’s a holy pause as we take our seat, like the stillness that falls when we begin to pray, “Our Father.” In that moment, we’re reminded that we’re standing on sacred ground. In those moments, we are aware of our bruises and brokenness. God’s holiness does not share space, and we quickly examine the shadows of our lives to see what we have brought with us. In a world full of noise, demands, and constant motion, we unconsciously pick up sin, unforgiveness, anxiety, depression, failure, shame, and other sticky brokenness. The Lord’s Table invites us to slow down, remember, and reflect. It’s a sacred space where we step back into the story of God and allow ourselves to be searched, shaped, and strengthened by what the Holy Spirit brings to light in our lives as we gather together. We find ourselves praying for our forgiveness, and releasing forgiveness to others that we have kept from experiencing God’s goodness and liberation.

This is the Lord’s Table Series

This post is part of a blog series called This Is the Lord’s Table, exploring how the practice and discipline of communion or the Lord’s Table is not just a church ritual and tradition, it is also a quiet act of resistance and trasnformation that recenters us in a chaotic and noisy world, it radically realigns us to the Kingdom of God, and reconciles us back to the heart of the Father. When we practice the Lord’s Table, we surrender ourselves more fully to the work of the Holy Spirit and take part in a discipling act. The first post in this series explored how the Lord’s Table is a promise of trust. Then, the second post of this series looked at how the Lord’s Table is a reminder of the victorious life. This morning, we look at how the Lord’s Table is a powerful opportunity to examine ourselves in a way that moves us towards repentance and confession, and ultimately to greater spiritual transformation and infilling of the Spirit.

Self-Examination at the Table

Every time we gather at the Lord’s Table, we are invited to take inventory of our hearts and lives. Just as those who celebrated the Passover would retell the story and enter its narrative, becoming freshly aware of their dependence on God, we too are called to remember—and realign. At that Passover meal that birthed the Lord’s Table, as Jesus shared the tradition with His disciples, He revealed that betrayal was near. And in that sacred moment, each of them began to examine themselves, asking if the betrayal could be found within their own hearts. So it is with us. Every time we come to the Table, we re-enter the story of that first communion. We look inward. We ask: What brokenness and betrayal have I brought with me? What sins, known or unknown, cling to me? At the Table, forgiveness is not withheld—it is extended and waiting. Confession rises. Repentance stirs. And as we surrender again to God, we open ourselves ultimately to greater spiritual transformation and infilling of the Spirit. This sacred rhythm invites a beautiful spiritual transformation—a filling of the Spirit, a re-centering of our hearts. As we approach the Table, we echo the words of David in Psalm 139: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” At the Table, we are not trying to impress. We are not pretending to have it all together. Instead, we return to the one who welcomes us just as we are and meets us with grace.

Paul’s Call to Self-Examination

Paul understood the importance of examining ourselves before approaching the Lord’s Table. In 1 Corinthians 11:28, he exhorts the church in Corinth—a community struggling with division and disorder—saying, “Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.” In this prophetic challenge, Paul warns them not to come to the Table in an unworthy manner or with careless hearts. The Lord’s Table is not just a ritual; it is a sacred moment of reflection, one that carries real spiritual impact.

The Didache, an early Christian teaching, instructed believers to confess their disunity before coming to the Table. They knew that reconciliation is part of worship.

If we approach it lightly—unaware of the burdens, sins, or unresolved tensions we carry—we risk bringing judgment upon ourselves. Paul urges us to look inward and to consider what anxieties, sins, or relational fractures we may be bringing with us. This isn’t about perfection, but about honesty.

Jesus taught the same principle. In Matthew 5:23–24, He tells His listeners that if you’re offering a gift at the altar and remember someone has something against you, stop. Go and be reconciled first. Whether it’s forgiveness you need to extend or receive, reconciliation matters to God. It’s clear: before we draw near to God, we are called to make things right with one another.

At the Lord’s Table: What Story Are We Stepping Into?

One rabbi describes Passover as stepping into the story personally—rejoicing as though we ourselves walked out of Egypt. In the same way, the practice of communion or the Lord’s Table invites us to do the same. The Lord’s Table is rooted in the Passover—where God’s people remembered His faithfulness in delivering them from slavery. Jesus reimagined that ancient meal, proclaiming himself as the fulfillment of God’s provision.

At the Lord’s Table, we ask ourselves, are we entering the story of God’s faithfulness with open hearts? Do we remember that we, too, have been rescued—freed from sin and shame?

There Are Some Focused Moments of Self-Examination

The Table is not just personal—it is deeply communal. We are one body in Christ. Paul warns against division and pride; the early church shared communion with a heart of humility and unity. At the Lord’s Table, we ask ourselves about what divides us from one another? We examine if there are unspoken divides between me and others in the body of Christ. At this moment, we ask if I am willing to confess where pride, bitterness, or comparison have crept in?

In Mark 14:12-28, Jesus tells his disciples to prepare the meal, but He had already arranged the details. The man, the room, the plan—it was all in motion before they even began. In reflecting on this, we examine to see where God has already gone ahead of us. We consider whether we truly trust that God is already working ahead of us. Approaching the table, we ask if we can rest in the truth that He’s making a way, even when I don’t see it?

As the disciples gathered, they brought with them expectations, distractions, and worries. Questions swirled about who would prepare the meal and what was coming next. We come to the table with many questions swirling, and in examining ourselves at the table, we ask about what we are carrying to the table. We ask ourselves, “What expectations or anxieties am I bringing with me today?” We examine ourselves so we can set down our expectations and anxieties, and be fully present with Jesus.

What Am I Being Asked to Examine?

In the safety of the upper room, Jesus invites reflection among his disciples. He doesn’t call anyone out by name. But he gives everyone space to examine their hearts. That continues today. The Holy Spirit knocks on our hearts and minds as we approach the table, and invites us to reflect among our brothers and sisters. As we approach the Lord’s Table, are we willing to reflect on our loyalty and motives? We think about where we have denied, avoided, or abandoned what Jesus has asked of us. When you approach the Lord’s Table, it is important to ask, “What am I being asked to examine?

Will I Let God Search Me, at the Lord’s Table?

It is here we ask, Who am I becoming? The Table holds our past, present, and future. It whispers:

This is who you were. This is who you are. This is who you are becoming. Will you embrace the Kingdom of God, which is at hand, by repenting and believing the good news? At the core of this practice, as we confess, we are reminded this is who God was, is, and always will be. The Lord’s Table is a powerful opportunity to examine ourselves in a way that moves us towards repentance and confession, and ultimately to greater spiritual transformation and infilling of the Spirit.

The more we practice the Lord’s Table, the more we examine ourselves, and the more we say yes to Jesus.

General Christian

Food and Religion

History and Religion

Series: This Is The Lord's Table

About Jeff McLain

Through 'Lead a Quiet Life,' Jeff McLain explores his pursuit of simplicity in a tumultuous world as he serves as the Director of Pastoral Ministries at Water Street Mission and as pastor at River Corner Church. Jeff's commitment to Jesus as been shaped by an unconventional journey from activism to hitchhiking, is reflected in his academic pursuits and throughout his involvement with various initiatives. Residing in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Jeff, along with his wife and three daughters, embraces family moments outdoors, while his love for baseball, boardwalks, beaches, and books adds depth to his vibrant life. You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post

June 27, 2025

Pray For Those Who Take from You in the Cover of Night

Next Post

July 10, 2025 The Way of Life: Four Ancient Postures in the Didache

Who said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

A blind man A tax collector A centurion A leper