The Table in the World (A Commissioning)

Albert Bogle January 24, 2026 1 0

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Matthew 28: 18–20 (NIVUK)

8 Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’

An Apprentice Prayer:

Lord, the week has been long and the workshop has been busy.

But today, I lay down the tools. 

I sit at the Table not as a worker,

but as a friend. 

Thank You for the gift of rest. 

Thank You for the "easy yoke" 

that reminds me the power is Yours, not mine. 

As I rest today, restore my soul, 

so that when the new week begins, 

I can pick up Your gifts with fresh joy and a heart full of Grace.

Reflection:

Here is a reflection designed to help our readers transition from the the Gift Table  into a life of active service. This "Commissioning" step ensures the lessons of the Gift Table don't stay on the page, but move into the streets. Come follow Me!

We have spent a couple of months at the Gift Table. We have handled the tools, learned the manual, faced our "no-go areas," and enjoyed the Sabbath rest of the Master. But the Gift Table was never meant to be a permanent hiding place; it is a staging ground on the move, a collapsable table ready to be on the move.

In the final verses of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus doesn't tell the apprentices to stay in the workshop. He says, "Go." The restoration project is now moving out into your neighbourhood, your workplace, and your family. You are no longer just watching the Master work; you are carrying His tools in your own hands. The "Graces" you practiced this week—the patience, the love, the insight—are the very things the world is starving for.

As you leave the table this month remember: you aren't going alone. The Master Craftsman who called you before you were born is the same one who promises, "I am with you always, to the very end of the age." The Table goes with you.

A Second Apprentice Prayer:

Lord, I am standing up from the Table. 

I am carrying the gifts You placed in my hands. 

As I walk into my world today, 

Help me to see every person as a "restoration project" in progress. 

Give me the courage to use my gifts with humility,

To speak Your words with Grace, 

And to live as a "polished arrow" shot into the dark places. 

Thank You for the apprenticeship;

Now, let the work begin. Amen.

Questions for Reflection:

1. Matthew 28:18 — “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." How does it change your confidence to know that the authority behind your spiritual ‘tools’ comes from Christ and not your own skill?
2. Matthew 28:19 — "Therefore go and make disciples." Who is one person you can "apprentice" this week by showing them the graces of love and patience you’ve found at the Table?
3. Matthew 28:20 — "And surely I am with you always." Which of the gifts from this week (Security, Insight, or Rest) do you need to lean on most as you ‘go’  into your specific community today?

A Closing Blessing for the Journey:

May the Master Craftsman guide your hands. May the Holy Spirit power your heart. May the Gifts of the Table be your strength, And the Graces of the Table be your song. Go in peace to restore and to love.