I am linking up for the Five Minute Friday. The FMF is hosted by Kate Motaung on her blog Heading Home. Today’s prompt is “Gather.” Write for five minutes; unedited.

“And he took the bread, blessed, and broke it. And said “This is my body given for you.” Then he took the wine and blessed it saying, “This is my blood shed for you.”

Each week we gather at the altar where together we share in bread and wine. At that holy table, our joys and pains are shared. At that holy table, we are forgiven of our sins. Together we gather around this holy meal.

In this community of faith, people of all generations gather around this table. There is the 5th grader who took wine for the first time and was completely shocked by its taste. Now she asks for grape juice every time. There is the little one whose parents have let her partake since she was little. And there is the 90 year old woman who continually gathers at this holy table and meal. The wafer is placed in her well-loved well-aged tender hand.

That 5th grader continually gathers with her parents and sister each week in worship. During the meet and greet time, she runs up the aisle to find me and embraces me in the most tender love-filled hug. I miss the weeks she is not there.

And then there is the community of families who gather with their kids and learn and grow together. This Family Sunday School group has blessed me in more ways than I can even begin to count or imagine. I get the opportunity some weeks to gather with the youngest of the kids and teach them about faith.*

And then there are the 7th graders who I get to gather and teach Confirmation. I hope and pray that they are learning something from me. And in addition, there are the youth that I get to spend every 1st and 3rd Wednesday with as I we gather for food, fun, and fellowship. Last night there was a small but mighty crowd. We simply spent time together which included a little of the board game Taboo.

I am blessed to gather in community with the most awesome and amazing friends and family. We have broke bread together and gathered around each other’s tables sharing in life’s joys and sorrows.

And who knew that my life would be blessed by social media as well.—God knew, didn’t he?

For the last several years, during Lent, at the end of the day, I have gathered around my phone to pray through my FB friends list. I cannot even begin to tell you how gathering around these people has been such a holy experience for me! And I gather knowing that those same friends are praying for me…and the deepest desires of my heart too.

And I gather around Twitter for the #fmfparty Twitter party almost every Thursday as well. This community has blessed me too. I never thought that I would feel the way I do about these awesome blog friends. And I am excited that the first ever #fmfretreat is going to be during the time my sister and are in Nashville.  I hopefully will get to gather and meet many of these new friends #inrl (in real life) as we gather again around food and around a table that is forever bonded by God’s love for each of us.

At the holy table, we gather and are fed by the relationships and love of a God who calls us to be who God created us to be. “And he took the bread, broke, and blessed it and said “This is my body given for you.” And then he took the wine, blessed it and said, “This is my blood shed for you.” Amen!

*This is where my Five Minutes stopped but I had to finish out my thought. This word prompted so much in me tonight!”