Roundtable Worship
What is Roundtable Worship?
In order to engage in the work of conflict transformation, we must be grounded in the reconciling work of God. We seek to align ourselves with the reconciling ministry of Jesus, not only in remembering stories of his work, but also by re-living the table fellowship in which this work gained memorable expression. In Roundtable Worship we gather in a circle around Christ’s table for nurture with traditional Communion elements and for counsel with one another about God’s ways among us.
Through circle conversation, artistic symbols, song, prayer, ritual, and silence we try to sensitize ourselves to troubled areas of our human existence, to the amazing beauty of creation and God’s ongoing work of reconciliation among us. By incorporating circle processes into the acts of communion and conversation we seek to form in ourselves the habits and disciplines necessary for the work of conflict transformation. The little book, Roundtable Worship: A Reflective Guide, lays out the practice of roundtable worship and its underlying theological principles as they have arisen in one group that has been seeking this path of reconciling worship for the past seven years.
The round table we use, crafted by William Everett, displays intersecting mandorlas, which are created by the intersection of two circles. They recall the ancient symbol of the fish as well as their function in traditional art to enclose sacred presences, whether of Jesus or Mary. The purple circle at the center reflects the heart of self-giving and compassion at the core of reconciliation. The pedestal (not visible) is formed by the conjunction of four circles reflecting the four directions of our globe.
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