At this table, everyone is welcome. At this table, everone is seen. At this table, everybody matters. No one falls between…

On Sunday morning, as we were sharing prayer concerns, I pointed out that as we are gathering around other tables this week, it might be a good thing to remember Christ’s table. At the center of who we are as followers of Christ should be compassion, grace, and welcome. Unfortunately, when tensions run high around the holidays, we all often forget that.

The lyrics above come from Idina Menzel’s new holiday album. One of my friends pointed out that she has unwittingly written a new hymn for Communion. Though she is speaking about the holiday tables we will gather around tomorrow and throughout the weeks to come, there is a deeper truth here about what it means to live into the true spirit of the holidays.

At the end of the day, the most important gift we have from God is one another. This wondrous variety creating the boisterous cacophony we call life is there to help us. To grow us. To shape us into better humans.

As Menzel says, the perfect gift that you can bring is your heart. When we live from the center of who God created us to be, then not only will we become better. The world will become better with us.

So give thanks this week for all the blessings God has given to us – most especially for one another. Give thanks and show the love that you were created to bear.