Reformation Day

A long time ago, my company sent me on business trips to western Minnesota to install electrical equipment. On one of those trips, I met a nice gal of good Minnesota Norwegian stock and asked her out to a music concert at the college in Fargo, North Dakota.

Being a good Minnesota Lutheran, she told me about her church in Moorhead. (There are so many Lutheran churches in Fargo and Moorhead, I'd never be able to remember now which one it was.) I had the privilege of visiting there the following Sunday, the last Sunday of October.

Reformation Sunday is not only a day to remember the events of 1517 Wittenberg, but also a time to celebrate with a grand midwestern potluck. Had I known ahead of time, well, I'd still not have been able to cook up anything in the motel room. But the little old ladies of the church welcomed me warmly and introduced me to their favorite potluck dish: lutefisk. "You'll either love it or hate it," they said. "It's like fish flavored jello," they said. How could I possibly turn this down? Fortunately, they didn't give me a lot!

After the potluck, I visited this nice gal and her family at her home, and we took turns playing the piano. It was a wonderful afternoon.

On another occasion, one of the electrical workers invited me to his home for lunch, and they served me corn freshly cut from their very own property.

After visiting Minnesota several times, I decided that the good Lutherans of Minnesota are far and away the friendliest people I've ever met. If they have any of the Lake Wobegon quirks, I never noticed.