When I was a small child, I supposed that if Christmas were to ever fall on a Sunday, perhaps Jesus would return. Of course, I didn't realize at that young of an age that this had happened many times over the last two thousand years, but I recognized the special significance of a day like today when two holy days fall together.

Kathy and I worshipped this morning at the church in which we were married in 1990, Cypress Baptist Church in Benton, Louisiana. Of course, it was not in the same sanctuary. They outgrew that long ago. And I was pleased that in the much larger auditorium, almost every pew was filled, with the exception of the first few rows of the center section (it is a Baptist Church after all). We sat there with Kathy's mother and our old college friend, Tim Wise. We were led in music by my mentor from college days, Philip Wade. It was a very pleasant experience all around, and quite worshipful. I was thankful to be in the presence of other believers, worshipping the Lord on this high holy day, the combination of Christmas and the Lord's Day which only comes once every eleven years.

I hope you had an opportunity for corporate worship as well. Merry Christmas to all of you--friends we know and friends we do not know yet--from Rick & Kathy Mansfield.