04/17/2026
Worship has long had the Table as its centerpiece. But one community in Fullerton, California, is taking that concept literally.
It’s a church called The Table where, yes, the worship service concludes with communion. But that’s not all. Everything—peace, prayer, homily; the entire liturgy—is centered around a round table, creating an inclusive environment that encourages all to participate and to bring as much or as little of their entire selves as they’re willing.
Jaz Bowen-Waring, pastor of The Table, refers to this style of worship as “holy conversations.”
“Holy conversations is something that Martin Luther did with his table talks with his students,” Bowen-Waring said. “It’s a type of lectio divina, where the word of God becomes enfleshed and alive in our experiences with each other, when we bring our own experiences and wrestle with them together in community, that God sits among us.”
It is that kind of community and welcome that has made The Table a home for many people whose previous church experiences run the gamut of pain, loss, and trauma.
(You can keep reading this story here: https://www.pacificasynod.org/news-events/the-table )