When we lived in Highlandville we use to have spontaneous ones throughout the summer. The kids were off having adventures around the neighborhood, and at some point, I would have to go find them. That was when we ran into the neighbors looking for their kids. And that lead us all to decide at the last minute that everyone should gathered with what they were planning for supper and meet in a few minutes at the camp ground...Always a lot of fun and never planned!!!!
At Seminary, there was a "covered dish" dinner every Friday night. Everyone brought their favorite thing to BBQ and a dish to share. More than once every dish was a pot of freshly opened baked beans, and it was fabulous!!
When Dave was on Internship in Indiana, we had regular pot lucks there too....only they were not called pot lucks....they were Pitch ins....everyone pitched in and brought a dish. They also used mangos that looked a lot like green peppers to me....
When we moved to Cross Roads were introduced to each of the four congregations with a pot luck....during the same week....FOUR nights in a row!!!! The food was fantastic, the fellowship was wonderful! At the end of the week I said UFF DA! That was a lot of food!
A few weeks ago we had a pot luck at Rock Creek honoring our missionary friends from Haiti...Les called it a Pot Blessing....because we were blessed with so many pots of great food, and the best peach pie he had ever eaten! Yup! it was ALL good!!!!
Across the country Pot Lucks may be called by different names...such as a bring and share, a spread,
a dutch supper, or even a Jacob's Join....But what ever it is called, FOR SURE there will enough for everyone to eat and enjoy.....With everyone wanting the prized hot dishes, potato salad made by ________(fill in the name of the maker of the best potato salad), casseroles, Jello, deviled eggs, pies, salads, desserts, and homemade bread....And in every group there are one or two that ALWAYS bring the same dish, because we all know it would not BE a POTLUCK with out that one dish!!!! Am I right?????
But I have not always loved them......My earliest memories were of red Jello melting into the scalloped potatoes. AND that is just NOT right. That was what happened before I could reach the table. So when I could hold the plate myself, there were no more red rivers running below the mound of oooie gooey goodness....and that was when my love affair with Pot Lucks began!
As I have gotten older I am also loving the analogy of everyone sharing food, sharing time, sharing work, having a great time, and having enough even for those who didn't bring anything...and not only everyone having enough....there are left overs to be taken home....
This past month I have been thinking about many things...and one of those things are final plans....probably forced by a difficult diagnosis....but even more because we have had a more than usual number of funerals to conduct this year...So consequently, I have put together a worship notebook with funeral notes in it...things to mention when talking to families about hymn suggestions, scripture readings, etc..... So, in a healthy way I started jotting things down that I wanted to remember to tell my family (Just so you know.....I plan to be around at least into my 90's) Hopefully the notes will make some decisions easier for my family when the time comes.....but if you know us, you know there has been more than a little sarcasm involved....cause, you know, THAT is how we roll!
I want the hymns Lift High the Cross, You Are Mine, Have No Fear Little Flock, Lord of All Hopefulness, Peace Like a River, The Lord is My Shepherd, Here I am Lord, Abide with Me, Thine is the Glory, My Hope is Built On Nothing Less, Be Still My Soul, Jesus Loves Me, Thine the Amen, I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light, Christ is Made the Sure Foundation, Healer of Our Every Ill, Lord Whose Love in Humble Service, I Know That My Redeemer Live, He Leadeth Me, There in God's Garden, On Our Way Rejoicing, and about 10 more, All of them!
....Dave thinks this is a problem!
I also wish to celebrate Holy Communion, be cremated and the ashes scattered over the farm in Highlandville, in lieu of flowers donate the money to world hunger or a community garden project, and I WANT A POT LUCK!!!!!
So...... I told my mom I wanted a pot luck for my funeral.....she laughed! And it was not just a giggle, she almost fell out of her chair...it was a deep, loud, tears streaming down her cheeks, belly laugh!!!! She never did say why that was SO funny....oh well!
Certainly we shall not wait for my funeral to have a pot luck! Any time any place...if you are having one, I will come!
Your blog contains a lot of food for thought. Love it.
ReplyDeleteJeff & Marjean