Thursday, February 18, 2010
Largest
potluck supper - world record set by Elmbrook Church
BROOKFIELD, WI, USA -- 140 members at Elmbrook
Church
in Brookfield gathered to celebrate its past
and commit itself to another year of ministry before the start
of the Easter season , setting the world record for the Largest
potluck supper
. 
Photo: Elmbrook Church set the world
record for the largest potluck supper ever. People filled
the gym for the dinner. / Photo Tom Lynn ( enlarge
photo
)
Lines snaked around three sides of the
giant gymnasium, past the tuna casseroles and lasagnas, the
veggie rollups and meatballs, and every variety of salad,
cookie and cake one could fathom.
The potluck and service were part of Elmbrook's
annual meeting. Both the potluck and evening service included
nods to traditions - of the old world and new - a concept
not always associated with nondenominational churches.
"Grieving over our sins is something we
ought to do, but so is celebrating our forgiveness," said
the Rev. Scott Arbeiter
, lead pastor at Elmbrook
,
which is in its 52nd year of ministry.
At the service, members drew on the Hebrew
tradition of Kriah - the rending of one's garments in grief
- each tearing a small piece of muslin to express their sorrow
over their sins.
The potluck tradition is considerably more modern,
traced, some believe, to the New England colonies and American
frontier where families traveled long distances for church
and spread their picnic meals on the grounds between morning
and evening services.
"The potluck is a wonderful symbol of religious
community," said Daniel Sack, an administrator at the University
of Chicago Divinity School and author of the book "Whitebread
Protestants: Food and Religion in American Culture."
"You bring what you can and you share it
with the people around you," he said. "And if you look at
the early Christians, that's very much the way they lived.
They had everything in common and they shared it with each
other."
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Thursday, February 18, 2010
