The practice of living the life in Christ: fasting, vigil lamps, head-coverings, family life, icon corners, and other forms of Orthopraxy. All Forum Rules apply. No polemics. No heated discussions. No name-calling.
Our church has a weekly Trapeza, the Chashka Chaja (or Fellowship Meal) after the Divine Liturgy every Sunday. It serves a vital function in bringing the parish together and making us a community. It also affords us an opportunity to become acquainted with visitors and newcomers. This apostolic institution is the Agape Meal mentioned in the New Testament.
Its been a great way for me to meet everyone, and I was wondering how many of you have parishes with one? If not, perhaps you could start one?
For me, I can not imagine a parish with out one. To me it is vital, it is the place to meet everyone and get to know them. Sometimes they are very simple, coffee and juice with some dounuts. And it is a downer in the summer when at times there is not a coffee hour at least.
Nilus
While the trapeza does provide an opportunity to commune with fellow parishioners and oppotunity for new visitors to interact with the parish, there is a more important function provided by the sunday meals.
It gives the older shut in parishioners a chance to get out and sit and talk with their friends. It makes them less isolated from people contact, less alone, lonely.
It provideds the elderly widows and widowers with at least one full nurishing meal per week. How many of them expend the effort necessary in this task?
It also, provides an opportunity for the youth of the parish to interact with youth of their own faith. A sort of future networking system.
The few dollars that are collected for this meal ususally goes to good causes or to charity. Our parish uses most of this money for Christmas and Easter donations to churches, monasteries and to poor people in dire need.
So if you don't go to the trapeza...go you give as much as you get.