The Table That Kept Getting Longer

In a small church in Portland, the congregation voted to remove their pews and replace them with tables. Not elegant ones — mismatched folding tables from a thrift store, scratched and wobbly. The pastor explained it simply: "We have been sitting in rows facing forward for decades. It is time we faced each other." That first Sunday felt awkward. People who had worshipped side by side for years suddenly had to look into each other's eyes over coffee and communion bread.…