The Crumbs from Your Table

I'm not a great one for liturgy. Its probably a remnant of my early days in the Methodist church, where the use of liturgy for significant services, and particularly Communion meant that, too often, these special sacramental God moments, these spaces where we should be able to open ourselves to God moving in our lives become lost in the repetitive reading of words so well known that they are said without thinking.

Its not that liturgy is without its place, and please don't hear me wrong - I'm sure some people find liturgy and structured services a great blessing and a real aid to worship. Its just, usually, it doesn't really help me.

But one thing has stuck with me from my Methodist Days, a prayer from the Communion service which really speaks to me everytime I hear the words.... a prayer which has its origins back in the 16th Century Book of Common Prayer - the prayer known as the "Prayer of Humble Access", which reads (in contemporary English!)

"We do not presume to come to your table, merciful Lord, trusting in our own goodness, but in your all-embracing love and mercy. We are not worthy even to gather up the crumbs under your table, but it is your nature always to have mercy. So feed us with the body and blood of Jesus Christ, your Son, that we may forever live in him and he in us. Amen."

I can;t help but read this prayer (or say it) and see myself, being picked up from the dust and dirt under the table, and given a seat at the table - taking part in the feast, even though I really don't deserve to be there. I've always loved this is a way of seeing just how much we are offered by him, because of his mercy, love and grace.

But there's more to it than just a picture of how God treats me. This prayer contains a picture of God's character - all-embracing love and mercy. And if thats how he is, then as we, as individuals and as churches wrestle with the messyness of real life, and the messyness of our society, we need to remember always that we should be the reflection of God's character here on earth... we should people who, having received his love, mercy and grace let that flow through us to the world.