A YouTube Advent Calendar: December 9

Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover meal for us that we may eat it." They asked him, "Where do you want us to make preparations for it?" "Listen," he said to them, "when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him into the house he enters and say to the owner of the house, 'The teacher asks you, "Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?"' He will show you a large room upstairs, already furnished. Make preparations for us there." So they went and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal.

- Luke 22

About four years ago, I was teaching a group of kids about the Eucharist. I brought them up for a view from the church’s altar; most of them had never been in that space before. It’s a big altar, and I talked about how it’s also a table. The ancient place for sacrificing animals is also for us a place to eat a family Thanksgiving meal together.

I asked, “How many people do you think could fit around this table?”

“Ten!” shouted one kid.

“Twenty!” shouted another.

And then a quiet little first grader spoke up just loud enough for everyone to hear her distinctly: “This table is big enough for the whole world.”

Well. How big a table do you need? How big a house? How big an upper room? How big a heart? Here’s my one country music offering this Advent season: “Love’s the Only House” by Martina McBride.