New Year Eve Message: Choose Table Fellowship

In Malaysia, especially those who live in the city where both husbands and wives working, eating out or buying prepared food are normal. The varied choices from coffee shops, food courts, road side stalls, fast food joints and restaurants mean not getting bored with outside food. They also have the choice on how much money to spend depending on the food source. Of course coffee shop food tends to be cheaper (and tastier, in my opinion) compared to the expensive restaurants like Secret Recipe and Kenny Rogers. But all these foods are seldom healthy compared to home-cooked meals.

The good news is that for those who prefer to cook at home, fresh produces are easily available and accessible. One only has to make the choice on whether to cook at home or eat outside food… But as for me and my family, we choose to eat at home. Mother chooses to cook at home. That’s exactly what we gonna do for this coming New Year Eve – table fellowship.

Eating together around the same table is an ancient sign of human intimacy that’s significant for building relationships. It invites family members into the warm space of welcoming one another. On a personal note; it honors me to know that mother (or those who prepared foods) has thought about the ingredients, the meals, the preparation and the service. It also provides a space of peace and platform for family discussion in which we learn to love and care for one another. It shows that we’re interested in each person. (There are times when it was filled with gossips, misplace jokes and arguments – oh well, no family is perfect) Dinning together or table fellowship creates intimate atmosphere and forming community. Yes, this upcoming New Year Eve – table fellowship, is the choice!

But eating together or table fellowship can be headache and complicated sometime. It can be ‘harmful’ if we’re not careful, we might fall into the tendency to be more concern about foods (its processes, varieties etc) than over the persons. Jan Johnson writes, “The sacramental element of eating together is sublimated, however, when the process becomes complicated; too much food or too much showiness.” Therefore, she wisely advised, “To keep dining simple is to keep the focus on table fellowship, to be grateful for food and each other.” Yes, keep dining simple, within budget and of course – eatable.
For this upcoming New Year Eve – table fellowship, is great choice!

After all, my readers, the goal of table fellowship is about being together and enjoying each other. For me; table fellowship means I want to spend some quality time with my lovely and hardworking mother even though she’s a pessimist and laser-mouth sometime. It means I want to invest some quality time with my caring and humble brother even though he’s rude and drunkard sometime. Table fellowship means both of them are willing to sacrifice their time to see my lovely cute face even though I’m judgmental and playing-all-wise most of the time. As I said earlier, everyone knows that too, that family is not perfect. And because of that, try to spent time with your family is a great choice. It’s not an excuse, but rather it’s the reason we ought to be together.
Come home for table fellowship tonight – will ya?

Wherever you’ll be; with or without family members or with friends or even with a person, at home or outside, table fellowship is a great choice for this upcoming New Year Eve.
If you can, please come home tonight, okay?

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.