We love our kitchen. It is the center of our home and our favorite gathering place.
Many wonderful and satisfying creations come from our kitchen. The aroma of hot bread drifting from the oven often calls our children. They arrive with anticipation of seeing a golden brown loaf on the counter so they can enjoy it smeared with butter and jam.
Our old kitchen table resides in this room, many family meals, memories, discussions, and studies have taken place around this table drawing us closer together as a family.
Interestingly the word table seems to be related to the word altar, another family gathering place.
It is at the altar of incense that a sweet smell arises. This incense has been referred to as the prayers of the saints that can be smelled by their Creator.
We find specific instructions on how to approach the golden altar in the book of Leviticus, the center gathering place of the Torah.
Protocol on approaching the altar and protocol concerning atonement seem to be the moral center of Leviticus. On both sides of the center we see instructions on caring for bodily functions and intimate relationship boundaries.
When our family gathers around our kitchen table, it usually accompanies instruction, boundaries, planning, and preparations.
Perhaps there are instructions, boundaries, planning, and preparations we need to consider so we can gather at our Creator’s altar?
Abba, we desire to understand the proper steps and personal adjustments we need to make to approach your altar to be near you.
Help us to understand how you designed our male and female bodies, each with different bodily functions. We also desire to understand what intimate relationship boundaries are pleasing to you so that we will be called worthy to gather with You at Your table.
Gathering Together,
Mark and Polly Webb
BYNA Elders
