A Place at the Table

High moments of the journey through Holy Week

Passion Sunday: For years I have had The Passion of our Lord read as a readers theater but this year we tried something new–three speaking choirs, surrounding the seated assembly, reading back and forth to one another.

Maundy Thursday: With her permission, I share this reflection from a parishioner,

“Maundy Thursday. I remember as I child when I learned that in some denominations people actually followed the example of Christ and washed each others’ feet, I thought, “That is just weird. Why would you submit to such a humbling, intimate act when in a public place (or at home, for that matter)?” Tonight we observed Maundy Thursday at church, and it was beautiful. People I love are willingly serving me. Humbling, to be sure, and yes, intimate. But also solemn and sacred. The symbolism is profound, whether you are a Christian, or any other faith. Humility and sacrifice and love. Our highest calling.” Continue reading →

By Pr Meggan Manlove

Simple meals of soup and bread followed by a service of Evening Prayer–these spiritual practices have been part of my Lenten journey since my two years as a confirmation student at Custer Lutheran Fellowship.  At Trinity we have fun coming up with special names for the soup people bring, adding modifiers like Delicious, Northwest, Surprise.  For some people this is the one home cooked meal they will eat during the week but the simplicity of the meal remains.  This was even clearer to me as a confirmation student.  Before and after the season of Lent, the meals I ate with the other students included pot-roast, lasagna, scalloped potatoes, and often a tasty dessert.  The switch to soup and bread was a reminder that we were in a different kind of season, one in which simplicity reigned supreme.  Continue reading →

My article about “After the Harvest” was published in the ELCA’s online periodical “Living Lutheran.”

I would love it if there were many places and spaces where people could have enlightened and informed conversations about big issues facing the church and nation.  There doesn’t seem to be much of a need for such a space because no one wants to talk.  Or is that really true?  On Monday evening, Trinity Lutheran Church hosted a Food Stamp Challenge Potluck and screening of the film “A Place at the Table.”  Our team of planners had no idea what to expect but we ended up having forty people at the screening, about one-third from our congregation and the rest from the community. Continue reading →