It was again our turn to make Sunday lunch for everyone who showed up at the community center. I pulled the lasagna from the freezer and threw it into the oven. It’s inefficient to make it from scratch when one can buy a ready-to-bake tray for less than $12. The lasagna was done by 9:30, and I turned the dial to warm. The church service went past 11:30; the service always goes long when you have an appointment right after.I rushed home to pick up the lasagna and headed south with one of the kids. The children were helping out; it’s good to stretch the service muscle at an early age.
We started fifteen minutes late despite having gained an hour when Daylight Savings expired the night before. Apparently the general rule of tardiness* and pew distribution applies outside the church setting as well.
*The majority always arrives after the service is supposed to start—which is why the back pews are crowded with worshippers who are too abashed to march up to the front where there’s plenty of space.
The line of about 80 people waited patiently while we set up. One of the lasagnas didn’t show, and we subdivided the portions so that everyone would get a spoonful. Several of us muttered about loaves and fishes (a reference to Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand----yes, Episcopalians do know something about scripture). Fortunately, a kindly baker donated bread rolls, we had plenty of salad to go round, and everyone was served a full plate.
The kids poured the juice and, when our patrons were leaving, gave each of them a bag meal---more nutritious fare than the sweets that we passed to the ghosts and goblins last night. Our next hosting will be in the midst of the holidays, the last Sunday in December. I'm sure we'll find a way to manage. © 2006 Stephen Yuen
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