“A Bigger Table offers the very wise reflections of a pastor with a heart like Jesus and a life journey that has led him to reject much of organized American Churchianity. In my role as pastor, I will be working to lead my church toward the four marks of the Bigger Table that John Pavlovitz recommends: radical hospitality, total authenticity, true diversity, and agenda-free community. I strongly recommend this book!”—David P. Gushee, author of Still Christian Book Spotlight – A Bigger Table: Building Messy, Authentic, and Hopeful Spiritual Community Written by John Pavlovitz No one likes to eat alone; to approach a table filled with people, only to be told that despite the open chairs there isn’t room for you. The rejection stings. It leaves a mark. Yet this is exactly what the church has been saying to far too many people for far too long: “You’re not welcome here. Find someplace else to sit.” This is antithetical to what we see in the life and ministry of Jesus, where diversity is a given and where the inherent value of all people is placed front and center. How can we who claim faith in Christ expand the table and embody the community Jesus envisioned? How can we extend unconditional welcome and acceptance in a world increasingly marked by bigotry, fear, and exclusion? Pastor John Pavlovitz invites readers to join him on the journey to find—or build—a church that is big enough for everyone. He holds a mirror up to the modern church and speaks clearly into the heart of the issues the Christian community has been earnestly wrestling with: LGBT inclusion, gender equality, racial tensions, global concerns, and theological shifts. A Bigger Table: Building God’s Messy, Authentic, Hopeful Community asks if organized Christianity, which has become ever more politicized in focus and...

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