Setting the Table, adapted from Rev. Laurie Bushbaum

Child #1: Why do we set the table?

Adult #1:

We have a table here
because we believe in community,
in what we have to give to
and receive from one another.
We are fed in relationship
and the table is our symbol.

Child #2: Why do we have a cloth on the table?

Adult #2:

We have a cloth on the table
because each life is interwoven
with every other life.
The cloth is our symbol
of the love which binds us,
and covers us.

Child #3: Why do we have a candle on the table?

Adult #3:

We have a candle on the table
because we believe in the light:
The light of faith, hope, and love.
The candle is our symbol of the light
and of our flaming chalice
which guides our search for truth.

Child #4: Why do we have flowers on the table?

Adult #4:

We have flowers on the table
so that we remember to see
the mystery and beauty of creation
which continually surrounds us.
Flowers are our symbol
of the grace which springs up into our lives.

Child #5: Why do we have cornbread and apple cider on the table?

Adult #5:

We have cornbread and apple cider
on the table
as gifts of the earth and from our ancestors.
They speak of the power of growing things:
they ask us to wait
for the ripening and harvest.
Cornbread and apple cider
are our symbols of trust and fruitfulness.

Child #6: Why do we have an empty box on the table?

Adult #6:

The empty box is to remind us
to welcome unseen guests at our table
– all those people who share this earth.
The empty box reminds us
to give from our fullness
to those who have need
so that we may all know justice and peace.

The table is set.