Step by Step, Ripple by Ripple

Table Talk

Setting the Table

You are welcome here. Come just as you are, bringing whatever is on your heart today. Take a few moments and allow yourself to just be. Take a couple deep breaths, grab yourself a cup of coffee, light a candle, do something that brings you comfort. Allow yourself to be present in this moment.  

Imagine the world as you wish it could be. Now consider, what are some small acts that could help make that world possible. 

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one.
 ― John Lennon, “Imagine” 

If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. We need not wait to see what others do.
 ― Mahatma Gandhi

Isaiah 43.19
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

Food for Thought

I consider myself fortunate to have had significant teachers and mentors at almost every stage of my life. Sometimes, they were coaches on the courts or the soccer field, doctors in the delivery room, or friends along the ministry journey. Some were family I’d known all my life, and others were happenstance people I met along the way. But most often, these mentors were the ones standing at the front of a classroom.

From elementary school through graduate school, my life has been deeply blessed and shaped by teachers who poured their energy not only into the content we were learning, but into the hearts, minds, and futures of the young people they were forming.

These teachers pushed us to think beyond ourselves and to see challenges as opportunities. They encouraged us to broaden our perspectives, to listen with respect, to make mistakes, and to learn with patience and persistence. They introduced us to the world as it is, and they dared us to imagine the world as it could be. They reminded us that even the smallest actions — a kind word, a curious question, a moment of courage — can ripple outward in ways we may never fully see.

One of those teachers in my life was my fifth-grade Language Arts teacher. From what I remember, she was a bright, funny woman whose creativity and energy filled every corner of the room. She taught us through poems and stories, games and skits — but most of all, through music. That year, she introduced us to John Lennon’s song, “Imagine.”

We spent that year imagining and reimagining the world — believing not only that it could be different, but that we could help make it so. We learned that no matter how small or slow the change may seem, every ripple matters. Every reimagined possibility carries the potential to reach farther than we ever intended. I think that’s what John Lennon hoped for when he wrote that song. I think it’s what our teacher hoped might live on in us into adulthood. And I think it’s the way Jesus moved through the world — creating ripples of love, healing, and transformation that are still reaching us today.

Jesus reimagined the world not as it was, but as God intended it to be: a world where the last are first, the captives are free, and the forgotten are welcomed home. A world of radical inclusion and restored dignity. A world where brokenness gives way to belonging, where death is not the final word, and where each simple act of love creates ripples that gently, steadily transform our lives and communities.

This is the sacred work we are invited into — to imagine and reimagine the world through the lens of God’s love. Even when it feels like the world is falling apart, even when we are certain our lives are unraveling, even when we wonder if anything good can come from what we see — God’s love moves like a ripple across the waters of our world stirring hope, creating life, and calling us toward renewal.

No matter how slow the change might happen, however small the ripples we make might seem, we are still called.

Called to listen for the Spirit’s nudging us to loving action. Called to see God-given light within us and within others. Called to trust that each ripple of kindness, each spark of justice, each act of reimagining ripples forth in ways that reshape the world.

Step by step. Ripple by ripple. This is how the world begins to change.


Create something that reflects your vision of God’s world made new. A piece of art, a poem, a song, a letter, a prayer—then share it.

Practice holy imagination this week. Identify one way your community might need reimagining—it could be related to equity, inclusion, care for the vulnerable, or healing division. What ripple could you begin today?

If your Summer schedule is already in full swing and you are in need of a fun way to stay connected with friends and loved ones through meaningful conversation, check out The Traveling Table! This downloadable eBook series, can go with you wherever you go this Summer, and there is something for everyone! 


For a printable version of today's reflection Click Here!

Blessing

Loving God,
Help us to look beyond the world as we know it, so that we might reimagine it through your eyes—the eyes of a God who loves us deeply and desires wholeness for all creation. May your Spirit stir our imaginations so we might join you in the holy work of re-creating the world, one step, one ripple at a time.
Amen.

A little Table Talk for your table...

• Take a moment to dream! Share your dream for how you wish the world could be.

• If fully believing in your dream for the world feels difficult, why is that? Share your thoughts on this as well.

• Every ripple matters. Come up with a few small steps you can take to make your respective dreams a reality. Perhaps you can be accountability buddies on your quests to make the world a better place!

Try taking it to the Kids Table...

• Ask your child how they see the world. What are some of the beautiful or kind things they notice? What are some things that feel unfair or hurtful? Listen with curiosity and care.

• Talk together about being a ripple of good. What are some small, loving things they can do to help bring more kindness, fairness, or joy into the world? How might those small actions make a difference?

• Share the image of a ripple on the water. Explain how even a tiny ripple can grow into something much bigger. Ask your child: What kind of ripple do you hope to make? What kind of wave do you want to help create?

Meet This WEek’s Writer...

The Welcome Table Team - We are “The Bunce Girls!” Originally from Lexington, North Carolina, we were raised surrounded by music, justice, and faith. We spent most of our Sunday afternoons gathered around an open table with family and friends where the food was plentiful, stories and laughter connected our hearts, and where the presence of each individual was held sacred. It’s those moments that have inspired The Welcome Table.

To hear more from TWT Team throughout the week, follow along on our Instagram!