[Nevertheless] We Gather At the Table [Advent 19]

We invite all to the table. We hope all will come. From our congregation, from our community, those who come for nourishment of body, soul and spirit.

But first we prepare. We bake gluten-free Communion bread so all can partake without worry.

We prepare a healthy meal, including a vegetarian/vegan option and a gluten free option, so that all are truly welcome to eat. 

We use tablecloths, cloth napkins, plates, and utensils, not plastic or paper products, to make things feel more like home and to be gentler to this beautiful creation God gave us.

We commune each other. We bless each other.

This Advent, we centered ourselves in Holden Evening Prayer.

And supported each other through a Blue Christmas worship service.

During this time of worship, we recognized that Christmas isn't merry for everyone - and that each person has their own struggles at Christmas time. We mourn the loss of loved ones, we deal with mental health issues, we worry about those in our lives going through difficult times, we get overwhelmed with sadness for the brokenness in the world.

So we prayed, we sang, we received a blessing for healing, lit candles in remembrance of loved ones, planted seeds of hope, wrote out our worries, prayed, and sang out our fears and our hope.

And then, once again, we gathered at the table to nourish our bodies with food and our spirits with conversation and community.

I can barely wait to see what the new year brings us @ the table.