The Table

The Table is a weekly worship service of St. George’s Episcopal Church in Nashville, TN. It is intentionally less formal and more modern than the church’s traditional services.

“The Table” is so named to communicate the hospitality of God, the centrality of Holy Communion, and a robust, family gathering.

The Table meets in Johnson Hall at St. George’s Episcopal Church, 4715 Harding Road, Nashville, TN 37205. Note that The Table does not meet in the main sanctuary of the church. The easiest way to come in is to enter through the doors that say “church office” and follow signs to “Johnson Hall” or “The Table.”

The Table service is one hour in length, from 9:00-10:00AM on Sunday mornings.

No, The Table is not a church in and of itself but is part of St. George’s Episcopal Church in Nashville. “The Table” is simply the name of the service and is used to differentiate it from the traditional services.

The Table is part of St. George’s Episcopal Church and, as such, is an Episcopalian worship service.

I don’t intend to discuss church doctrine here, other than to say that we are Christian. I point you to the church’s site for further information.

You sure can. We won’t card you, I promise.

Yes, you are especially welcome.

Yes and always. I’ve been hurt, too. I had a pastor once say, “Ain’t no hurt like a church hurt.” I believe this is true, and I’m very sorry. Let us find healing together.

Yes. Although our music may be modern, the service follows the Anglican liturgy as outlined in the Book of Common Prayer. This includes such traditional elements as congregational singing, the reading of scripture, and reciting The Lord’s Prayer, and the Nicene Creed.

There’s not much that you have to do. You’ll come in and find a seat. Ushers are available if you arrive after the service starts or otherwise need assistance. For the most part if we’d like the congregation to stand, we’ll say “please stand” or something to that effect. Likewise “you may be seated.” If you’re not able to stand or for any reason don’t feel like standing, you are welcome to remain seated even if we say “please stand.” Scouts honor, we won’t call you out.

You may see others do peculiar things as part of their worship. They may make the sign of the cross or lift their hands. They may spontaneously say “amen” or “hallelujah.” You are free to do any of these things and just as free to not do any of them. We simply encourage you to participate in whatever way is meaningful to you.

Anything of substance that the congregation says in unison is projected on a screen behind the altar. You are welcome to read along. We don’t typically use books or a printed program for this.

The priest will say “The peace of the Lord be always with you” and the people will say “and also with you.” Then, there will be a murmur of activity with people hugging, kissing, shaking hands, and walking across the room. This is what we call “passing the peace.” At a minimum, it’s a way of greeting your neighbor. At best, it’s reconiling a strained relationship and saying in effect “You are my brother/sister and I pray you experience God’s peace. I wish only His best for you.” Quite powerful indeed. Here’s an informative post I found from a church in Canada about this practice.

Many will simply say “peace,” “God’s peace,” or “peace of the Lord” to their neighbor. There’s really no wrong way to do it. Shake hands, wave at a neighbor, hug, nod, and if it’s a stranger introduce yourself.

Ah, as the music director this is my favorite part. I like to say “you never know” because I try to keep things fresh and I love to pull a few surprises. We sing a lot of hymns and also contemporary worship songs. We have a rhythm band of rotating musicians that we affectionaly call The Table Troubadours. You can read more about our music here.

Typical demographic and attire of The Table. Photo taken by Kim King.

I wish this wasn’t a concern, but I know that it is. In my opinion, you can wear whatever you want. However, my experience is that the real question is “what will everyone else be wearing?”

St. George’s church is located in the heart of Belle Meade, one of the more fashionable areas of Nashville. While we have purposefully tried to relax the attire (the band often wears jeans), expect to see dresses, skirts, and sportcoats.

Yes! We love children. It is our desire to be a multigenerational service, and your children are welcome. Even when they get restless and fussy. “The Table” is a metaphor for a family gathering, and who wants a gathering without the children? Not us. We offer “worship bags” with a coloring sheet connected to our church season and other items to keep hands busy, while allowing the child’s mind to engage in the participatory worship. There is also a nursery and children’s chapel available.

Children’s chapel for ages 5-11 is available on most Sundays during The Table. The children meet with us at the beginning of the service and leave during our second “singalong.” If we’re on top of our game, there is an announcement made when it is time to leave for children’s chapel. If this is forgotten (i.e. if I forget) the mass exodus of children will be your cue. The children rejoin us during our announcements and just in time for communion.

Children’s chapel meets in Hampton Hall, which is two doors down from Johnson Hall, where The Table meets. Parent volunteers escort the children. Children’s chapel consists of prayer, singing, a lesson on a Bible story or character, and fun activities. For safety, at least two adults are present with the children at all times.

Your children are also welcome to remain with you in The Table if you prefer.

Communion (sometimes called The Eucharist, The Lord’s Supper, or The Last Supper), reenacts the last gathering of Jesus and his disciples before His arrest and crucifixion. During this meal Jesus, pulling from the Jewish tradition of the Passover Seder, uses bread and wine to teach that His body and blood would be sacrificed and used to establish a new covenant between God and His people. Christians believe that Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice that was foretold by the Passover Lamb.

Receiving communion means different things to different Christians, but for all of us it is a celebration of the love and hospitality of God through Jesus, a solemn remembrance of His sacrifice, and an intimate receiving of His transformative power to make us more like Him.

Communion (sometimes called “The Eucharist”) is an important part of our worship and is observed in every service. It is why the service is called “The Table.” Here is what you need to know.

All baptized Christians are welcome to receive communion at The Table. You do not have to be Episcopalian or a member of St. George’s Church. Worshipers line up and come forward to receive the bread and the wine from a common cup. (Which is to say, you don’t have your own cup). The line is formed a row at a time based on where you’re sitting. To write any more about the lining-up process will make it seem more complicated than it is. There’s really no way to mess this up. Just follow your neighbors.

Some people eat the bread and take a drink of wine; some take the bread, dip it in the wine, and then eat the bread. Some will take the bread but not the wine; some will take the wine but not the bread. (We do offer gluten-free bread for those with dietary restrictions). You are also welcome to not participate in communion at all if you choose. All of that to say, it’s pretty loose and is up to you. You won’t turn heads.

Some sign language:

• One hand over your chest indicates to the priest that you would like a gluten-free wafer.
• Both hands over your chest in the shape of an X indicates to the priest that you are not receiving communion but would like a blessing instead. This is simply a short prayer that the priest will say to you.

After you receive communion or a blessing, you may return to your seat.

If, for any reason, you wish to remain in your seat and not go forward at all, you are welcome to do so.

I’ll speak to two demographics: age and race.

It’s interesting. Many assume that The Table must be a “young people’s service,” but that is neither our intention nor the reality. I would estimate the average attendee is a Baby Boomer with the second largest group to be young families with grade-school-age children. It is our desire that the service be multigenerational, and if you are a teenager or young adult, you are especially welcome.

The racial demographic of the congregation is representative of the neighborhood in which the church resides, which is almost entirely white (source). We have recently been blessed by the addition of a Nigerian priest to our staff, but we are admittedly still far too white. If you are a person of color, you are especially welcome.

At the time of this writing, there are eight priests on staff at St. George’s and they rotate on a weekly basis among The Table and the other four Sunday services. At The Table, there are usually two priests. One serves as the “preacher” (i.e. preaches the sermon) and the other serves at the “celebrant” (i.e. oversees communion). While they do have the title of “Father” and “Mother,” at The Table we usually refer to them by first name.

Two priests to mention are David Barr, who is over The Table and Leigh Spruill, who is over everyone. You can see all of our priests at the church’s website.

Associate Rector David Barr

Rector Leigh Spruill

Of course and absolutely. We sit in lightweight chairs that are easy to move if you need extra space for a wheelchair. We don’t have a sign language interpreter, but the song lyrics and prayers are projected on a screen. If you let us know ahead of time, we can come to you to serve communion if it’s difficult for you to come forward. Look for an usher for assistance. They are usually by the doors before the service starts and wear big name tags. We would love to see you and will do our best to accomodate your needs.