Trinity Lutheran: The Church-State Case Looms at the Supreme Court — The Supreme Court is expected to rule in June, 2017, on a case brought by Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, Missouri, against the state. The ruling could have powerful implications for the separation of church and state and the funding of religious schools in the United States. Is playground resurfacing part of public safety like fire prevention? Or is it part of a slippery slope that entangles civil government in church affairs?