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I don't know about you, but I love the Holidays. The time from the end of November to January 1 seem to have a sense of excitement and joy to them. It's also a great time to reflect on God's blessings and faithfulness.  With that in mind, I want to point out a few things that the Holidays and Holy Communion have in common.  1. We Look Back With Thanksgiving  The Holiday season (In the United States) officially kicks off with a Holiday we call, "Thanksgiving." Thanksgiving is a time when we come together and reflect on the goodness and faithfulness of God. We gather with family, share a meal, and remember that God has blessed us in extraordinary ways.  Holy Communion begins by looking back with thanksgiving. Like the Holiday, we gather together with others and reflect on the goodness and faithfulness of God. We look back, thankful for Jesus' sacrifice that has given us new life.  Holy Communion should always begin by looking back with a tha...

Imagine with me that your family just adopted a golden retriever puppy. In preparation for his arrival, you purchase one of those invisible electric fences. After all, you want your dog to stay within the safe confines of your yard.  You install the fence, bring fido home, and put the electric fence collar on him. He goes out into your yard and upon hitting the boundary, gets shocked. He does this a few times but soon learns where the fence is and where he is allowed to go. As evening falls, you bring fido in for the night and you begin to think to yourself - "that fence is really in the wrong place. It needs to be closer to the house." So you go outside and move the fence ten feet closer to your house.  Fido goes out the next morning, expecting the boundaries to be where they were yesterday, only to find that the fence has been moved.  Imagine this fence gets moved on fido every evening. Each morning he wakes up to discover the fence in a n...