In worship today - and also next week - special musical & dramatic presentations are taking the place of the sermon.  Last week, on Dec. 9, I preached my last sermon until Christmas Eve, Dec. 24.  The Dec. 9 sermon encapsulates much of what I think is the message of Christmas, and I encourage you to read it if you haven't.  You can find it in the blog archive.

In the meantime, here is the brief meditation I gave this morning as we gathered around the communion table, something we do every Sunday at Bixby Knolls Christian Church: 

If you follow me on facebook, you may know that earlier this week I saw a documentary movie about what makes people happy; what brings people joy.  Well, friends, this is it:  to gather with one another in fellowship and love, to share in laughter and hope, and – speaking mainly for myself – knowing you can act silly in front of a crowd of friends and still be loved for it. 

It’s not the things we buy in the stores this time of year that bring us joy.  When you unwrap a present, you are happy for a moment, but if you experience friendship and fellowship and love, you have joy for a lifetime.

One of the lectionary scripture readings for today, from the book of Philippians, actually says:  “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.”  The translators even capitalized that word, “rejoice.” 

I know that life isn’t always easy.  There is stress and anxiety and loneliness and grief.  The world either pays no attention to us, or, when it does, it picks on us or manipulates us.  But here is a place where we are welcomed just as we are.  Here is a place where you don’t have to prove yourself, you don’t have to act cooler than you are, you don’t have to wear a mask, and you don’t have to pretend that you are perfect.  Here is a place where love is genuine and real, a place where we can experience joy.

Welcome to the table of our Lord.