Practices 00: Introduction

PRESENCE. PARTICIPATION. PRACTICE.

We are a people tending to God’s presence in ordinary life together, participating with Jesus in the renewal of our city by living into spirit-empowered practices to be a social witness of the kingdom of God.

Presence

We are a people tending to God’s presence in ordinary life together. We seek to tend to God's presence and be present with others.

Participation.

We participate with Jesus in the renewal of our city. We do not make things happen, rather we join into the work that Jesus already started.

The work of the Church is to be the church, to participate with the God who is already at work in our world.

Practice.

We are formed into a life together through shared practices, shaping our communities as a witness to the kingdom of God in Philadelphia and beyond.

The practices of gathering around tables, prayer, celebrating, reconciling, and seeking the peace and welfare of our neighbors.

We have identified seven practices for our being a social witness of the kingdom of God.

We begin a series today walking through seven practices of The Table Philadelphia. These are ways of being the church together we have identified through the life of Jesus and the life of The Table Philadelphia. The seven practice are:

•Story

•Ordinary Life

•The Table

•Prayer

•Patience

•Celebrate

•Shalom