by Neta Jackson
“Bree for sure . . . um, maybe Rochelle, if that wouldn’t be too weird. But Conny could be the ring bearer. And Gracie would be an adorable flower girl.”
Bree for sure . . .
Kat jumped off the couch. She’d almost forgotten. This couldn’t wait!
Tiptoeing into the bedroom she’d shared with Brygitta all summer, Kat turned on the bedside lamp and shook the lump in the other twin bed. “Bree! Bree! Wake up.”
“Wha . . . uhnn . . . what?” Brygitta squinted up at her, her short dark hair splayed against the white pillow. “Kat? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. Sit up. I’ve got something to show you.”
With a groan, Brygitta rubbed sleep out of her eyes and pushed herself to a semi-upright position. “What?”
Sitting on the bed, Kat held out her left hand, letting the ring sparkle in the lamplight. Then she extended her little finger and hooked it around Bree’s.
“Hey,” she said softly. “Remember that pinkie promise?”
Reading Group Guide
1. When Josh Baxter marveled at the coincidences that brought Rochelle off the streets, his wife, Edesa, said, “I don’t believe in coincidences!” (chapter 3). And Nick Taylor said much the same thing to Rochelle’s mother, Avis: “Had to be more than just coincidence . . . Don’t you think God brought all this together?” (chapter 14). How do you feel about these statements? What do you think about unusual “coincidences”?
2. Kat Davies struggled with the fact that baptism was a requirement for membership at SouledOut Community Church, even though she’d become a Christian several years earlier. What do you think of Avis Douglass’s explanation of why the church covenant emphasized baptism first (chapter 14)? What does baptism mean to you?
3. What do you think Estelle Bentley meant when she acknowledged Kat’s concern “about people eating healthy,” but said, “. . . what she really wants—needs—to do is feed the hungry. Even if she don’t know it yet” (chapter 7)? What was the distinction she was making and why was it important?
4. Have you ever worked in a food pantry—or used one? What was the experience like for you?
5. Both Nick and Kat hesitated to let the other one know how they felt about each other, which was frustrating to them (and probably to you as a reader as well)! Did you feel their reasons were silly? Too cautious? Valid? Wise? Why or why not? Have you ever been in a relationship—or wished you were in one—when you hesitated to let the other person know how you felt? Why? Were those reasons valid?
6. When Kat blurted out her idea for starting a food pantry at SouledOut, Avis Douglass asked if she’d prayed about it—and whether she’d asked others to pray with her (chapter 21). Why was this particularly important in Kat’s case? What is the real purpose of praying about our good ideas—and asking others to pray with us (not just for us)?
7. When Kat asked the elderly couple why they volunteered at the Rock of Ages Food Pantry, what do you think the man meant when he said, “Don’t want to miss Jesus” (chapter 23—also see chapter 25)? What did this have to do with the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25 (his wife’s explanation)?
8. Throughout this novel, the pastoral team of SouledOut focused on the sayings of Jesus just before and just after His death and resurrection, as well as related topics. Which one of these teachings spoke the most to you—and why?
a. Chapter 11, Nick—Jesus’ prayer for His disciples: “That they may be one as we are one” ( John 17:11).
b. Chapter 18, Avis Douglass—on a communion Sunday: “Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare . . . I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David” (Isaiah 55:1–3). She related it to Jesus breaking bread at the last supper:
c. Chapter 25, Pastor Cobbs—Jesus washes His disciples’ feet: “You also should wash one another’s feet” (i.e. serve one another) . . . and “A new command I give you: Love one another” ( John 14, 34).
d. Chapter 30, Nick Taylor—Jesus’ last words to Peter: “Do you truly love me? . . . Feed my sheep” ( John 21:15–17).
9. What do you think Nick meant when he said, “I think we all do that . . . Make Jesus like ourselves” (chapter 25)? In what ways do we do this in our own churches, personal lives, and society? In what ways might this be a good thing? What are the dangers?
10. What was your reaction to the Kat-Nick-Rochelle love triangle throughout the novel? If you were in Rochelle’s shoes, would the talk with Edesa in chapter 39 have helped you deal with ending up “odd [wo]man out”? Why or why not?
11. In chapter 41, Kat realizes she “might have to actually get to know these ‘food pantry people’ as people God loved. To know all of them by name.” Why is this significant for Kat? What is the importance of knowing people “by name”? Are there people in your community—or even your church—where this would be a challenge for you?
12. In chapter 44, Kat surprises us—and Nick—by turning down the offer of a paid position running the food pantry . . . “Because I think I’ve been too invested in the food pantry being ‘my thing.’ It’s God’s thing. I’ve been holding on too hard. And it’s time to let go.” Why is her statement significant? Is there an area of ministry or work you might be “too invested” in? What would it cost to “let go”? What might be the benefits of letting go—for you? for others?
13. The title of this novel is Come to the Table. What layers of meaning does this have for you after reading this novel? How does this invitation relate to how we live out our calling as the body of Christ?
Acknowledgments
How does one acknowledge all who have played an important role in bringing a book to life? And in my case, not just a book, but three series, all interconnected, woven together, a fictional world that has come to life: The Yada Yada Prayer Group (7 novels); The Yada Yada House of Hope (4 novels); and SouledOut Sisters (2 novels).
First, I need to acknowledge my women’s Bible study, going on fifteen years now, which inspired the very first Yada Yada Prayer Group novel. Sisters have come and gone over the years, but essentially we’re the same: a group of women who come together every week to study God’s Word regardless of what church we go to, challenging one another to grow, praying for each other’s heart concerns, and just being there for each other as we take this faith journey together. Thank you, my dear sisters, for turning my life upside down and rightside up!
To Joey Paul, formerly of Integrity Publishers, who first believed in my story proposal and gave me a chance to write “grown up” fiction—and to Allen Arnold of Thomas Nelson Fiction, who took over the series and came up with amazing ways to keep the stories coming in new and fresh ways. And to the talented Fiction Team at Nelson, who have shepherded these stories through editing, production, marketing, and promotion with amazing skill: Thanks for all your efforts and encouragements along the way.
To Chip McGregor, our first agent, who sat in our living room with Joey Paul, listening to the passion on our hearts as we transitioned from historical fiction for kids to contemporary adult fiction . . . and to Lee Hough, our agent with Alive Communications, who has been there for us Jacksons through thick and thin—even when he was on his own journey with brain cancer and chemo, and managed to do so with humor and faith. Lee, when you get tired of agenting, you should write!
To Breakthrough Urban Ministries in Chicago—especially to Arloa Sutter, Director, and Beverly Williams, Outreach Coordinator—who personify God’s heart toward the homeless, the poor, the struggling, the addicted, and the hungry, and showed me that each person has a story, a story that isn’t over yet because God cares.
And to my husband, Dave, who is not only my best friend, husband-for-life, lover, and spiritual companion, but a writing partner in the truest sense of the word. Whether we are working on a book together, or writi
ng separate novels, he is there alongside me—brainstorming, reading, editing, giving feedback, encouraging, sometimes pushing me out of my comfort zone, believing in me even when I struggle to believe in myself.
With the apostle Paul, “I thank my God every time I remember [each of] you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:3–6).
Neta Jackson
Evanston, Illinois
About the Author
Neta Jackson’s award-winning Yada books have sold over 500,000 copies and are spawning prayer groups across the country. She and her husband, Dave, are also an award-winning writing team, best known for the Trailblazer Books—a forty-volume series of historical fiction about great Christian heroes with 1.7 million in sales—and Hero Tales: A Family Treasury of True Stories from the Lives of Christian Heroes (vols. 1–4). They live in the Chicago area, where the Yada stories are set.