Do you remember when the Lord's Supper used to be sad? An old Presbyterian Service made clear that Holy Communion was an occasion for penitence, a time to talk about sin: "It is my duty to warn the scandalous and the lewd, and all those indulging in any known sin, that if they come unworthily to the Lord's Table; they do eat and drink damnation to their eternal souls."

Aren't you glad that, in recent years, we have recovered the ancient emphasis upon the joy of eating and drinking with Jesus. We are joyful because Christ is present. That joy is symbolized, in many of our churches, by the transformation of the ancient high altar into the even more ancient holy table. The old altars, which were pushed against the back wall of the sanctuary, away from the people, have been converted to table…