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A Bigger Table: Building Messy, Authentic, and Hopeful Spiritual Community by John Pavlovitz
megrosen88's review
4.0
I really needed this dialogue and appreciate the honesty and vulnerability of the author. I have repeatedly be confused, hurt, frustrated, and saddened with so many portions of my experience with Christianity and have found that it’s not a label I desire right now. The idea of a bigger table, one that is authentic, messy, diverse, and truly relational is absolutely what I crave. This book opened my eyes and validated what I’ve been wrestling with. I look forward to continuing to break down barriers and to redefine the lens through which I see others and how I see God.
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“Doubt isn’t the sign of a dead faith, not necessarily even of a sickly one. It’s often the sign of a faith that is allowing itself to be tested, one that is brave enough to see if it can hold up under tension.”
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“Doubt isn’t the sign of a dead faith, not necessarily even of a sickly one. It’s often the sign of a faith that is allowing itself to be tested, one that is brave enough to see if it can hold up under tension.”
daniellearider's review
5.0
This was a very slow and challenging read for me, taking nearly eight months to work my way through. But that isn’t a criticism of the quality of writing or the content. Instead, it speaks to an uncomfortably challenging subject (how to build a bigger table, become more inclusive, and actually live like Christ) and how it relates to ongoing struggles many of us have, me especially, with the modern day church. My copy is now riddled with underlines, highlights, and dog eared pages, and while a slow read, it was authentically messy and inspiring.
19paws's review
2.0
This book addresses issues that are important to me and I wanted to love it. Sadly, I could not.
It’s not just that the book is painfully repetitive. Or that it failed to provide any real guidance for creating the bigger table. The biggest concern for me is that John Pavlovitz seems completely unfamiliar with the breadth of philosophies and perspectives among Christian denominations. He speaks of “The Church” without seeming to realize that this includes large mainstream denominations like the Episcopal Church, the Lutheran Church (ELCA), the Presbyterian Church, and the United Church of Christ which all sanction same-sex marriage, ordain gay ministers, and often participate in interfaith communities. (In fact, according to a Pew Research Center Survey, 62% of white mainline Protestants support same-sex marriage.)
I’m not suggesting that this represents Christianity everywhere in America. Clearly and sadly it does not. And I’m not saying that the topics tackled in this book aren’t important. But I came away with the impression that John Pavlovitz believes that the Christian church overwhelmingly endorses bigotry and a small table. It left me feeling that he was ignoring what is happening in mainstream Christianity, choosing instead to foster the same biased (or uninformed) image of Christian churches that the media promotes (as it focuses on the Christian right and pretty much ignores the progressive voices among Christians). I suspect that it’s because this other Christian demographic doesn’t fit his narrative. Or maybe it doesn’t fit his self-image as some sort of pioneer in the movement to build a more inclusive church. Alternatively, he may be simply ignorant of what is occurring outside of his own experience in southern evangelical churches. (Truthfully, it’s hard to know what exactly his experience is or even if he is actually an ordained minister since he is extraordinarily secretive about his background.)
I’m glad that Pavlovitz is tackling these issues. But I wish he had pointed out that others are doing the same and that there are many, many churches that are working hard to create a bigger table. At best, his perspective comes across as naïve and uninformed. At worst, it seems arrogant.
It’s not just that the book is painfully repetitive. Or that it failed to provide any real guidance for creating the bigger table. The biggest concern for me is that John Pavlovitz seems completely unfamiliar with the breadth of philosophies and perspectives among Christian denominations. He speaks of “The Church” without seeming to realize that this includes large mainstream denominations like the Episcopal Church, the Lutheran Church (ELCA), the Presbyterian Church, and the United Church of Christ which all sanction same-sex marriage, ordain gay ministers, and often participate in interfaith communities. (In fact, according to a Pew Research Center Survey, 62% of white mainline Protestants support same-sex marriage.)
I’m not suggesting that this represents Christianity everywhere in America. Clearly and sadly it does not. And I’m not saying that the topics tackled in this book aren’t important. But I came away with the impression that John Pavlovitz believes that the Christian church overwhelmingly endorses bigotry and a small table. It left me feeling that he was ignoring what is happening in mainstream Christianity, choosing instead to foster the same biased (or uninformed) image of Christian churches that the media promotes (as it focuses on the Christian right and pretty much ignores the progressive voices among Christians). I suspect that it’s because this other Christian demographic doesn’t fit his narrative. Or maybe it doesn’t fit his self-image as some sort of pioneer in the movement to build a more inclusive church. Alternatively, he may be simply ignorant of what is occurring outside of his own experience in southern evangelical churches. (Truthfully, it’s hard to know what exactly his experience is or even if he is actually an ordained minister since he is extraordinarily secretive about his background.)
I’m glad that Pavlovitz is tackling these issues. But I wish he had pointed out that others are doing the same and that there are many, many churches that are working hard to create a bigger table. At best, his perspective comes across as naïve and uninformed. At worst, it seems arrogant.
drbobcornwall's review
3.0
The author offers another take on the perennial question of what it means to be a Christian community. He writes from the perspective of a Progressive Protestant perspective offering words of wisdom about expanding the table of inclusion. It should prove helpful, especially for those who are wrestling with the question of inclusion of LGBT persons.
babytloves2read's review
DNF’d @ 37%.
why the 4 star rating then?
this book has a specific time and place. I’m just not in the place to read it right now. I bought this because I was really interested in exploring Christianity as a young adult and I just really am not the type of person to read memoir/nonfiction type of books. Same kind of thing happened with Dr. Willie Parker’s book.
I love John Pavlovitz of it is kind of philosophy of faith in Christianity. I love how he is this “all people“ pastor and he’s just so inspiring to follow on social media and social media is the main reason I even picked up this book but I just really cannot get into it and you can tell that he really is not a writer him he’s just a brilliant person who has a lot of great things to say but my problem is when somebody is not a writer I genuinely cannot read a book and enjoy it. I can tell when somebody is not a natural writer and when they are just writing something because of fame or because they have a story to tell, but they’re not a storyteller.
So, 4 stars for the content, 0 stars (+ DNF’d for the actual writing)
why the 4 star rating then?
this book has a specific time and place. I’m just not in the place to read it right now. I bought this because I was really interested in exploring Christianity as a young adult and I just really am not the type of person to read memoir/nonfiction type of books. Same kind of thing happened with Dr. Willie Parker’s book.
I love John Pavlovitz of it is kind of philosophy of faith in Christianity. I love how he is this “all people“ pastor and he’s just so inspiring to follow on social media and social media is the main reason I even picked up this book but I just really cannot get into it and you can tell that he really is not a writer him he’s just a brilliant person who has a lot of great things to say but my problem is when somebody is not a writer I genuinely cannot read a book and enjoy it. I can tell when somebody is not a natural writer and when they are just writing something because of fame or because they have a story to tell, but they’re not a storyteller.
So, 4 stars for the content, 0 stars (+ DNF’d for the actual writing)
kstep1805's review
4.0
Definitely the book I needed at this time. It’s so refreshing to read books by Pastors who have faced the same doubts and come to similar conclusions. Who aren’t afraid of the critics. It’s been a long, spiritually exhausting slog to get here, to return to a prayer life at all. I think that aspect of the book was more resonating than anything he said about building a bigger table, I don’t need to be convinced on that. Though I do wish he ventured into how we deal with racist, sexist, bigoted people from a position of love more than he did. It’s one thing to welcome them to the table, too, it’s another to let them spew their hate toward the oppressed and vulnerable.
amysbrittain's review
4.0
NC-based Pavlovitz spent approximately 20 years as a minister in a church, and since then he has ministered to the most in-need community members outside of a physical church community (and blogged, written, etc.). The chapters felt somewhat uneven but the great ones were really meaningful, down to earth, and practical but inspiring. Considering reading selected chapters with Mary Circle this spring.