A Reflection on Pot Lucks....

Raido Devotion....you may have read this, but this one was one of the devotions I recorded for the radio. This one has a different ending...

A Reflection on Pot Lucks....

I love  Pot Lucks!....any time any place!!! Pot lucks have been around for awhile! The word was first used in the 16th century to mean "food provided for an unexpected or uninvited guest…….. the luck of the pot"......

The term is still used today and has come to mean: more food than one can eat, and it is truly all good!!!! Especially here in Northern and Northeastern Iowa where we know how to cook with the abundance of fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats that are produced here....and where it is not uncommon to smell fresh bread baking!

When we lived on our farm near Highlandville, Iowa we use to have spontaneous potlucks 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 too! And that lead us all to decide at the last minute that everyone should gather at the campground in a half an hour, with whatever they had and we would have supper together...Always a lot of fun, more food that we could all eat, and never planned!!!!

When we attended Seminary, there was a "covered dish" dinner every Friday night. Everyone brought their favorite thing to BBQ on the grill, and a dish to share. More than once every dish was a pot of freshly opened baked beans,……. and it was fabulous!!

When my husband, 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! I think I gained at least 25 pounds!

A few months ago we had a pot luck at one of our congregations; we were honoring our missionary friends from Haiti...They 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 Muriel or Marion, or Keith or (fill in the name of your favorite maker of the best potato salad). And then there are the hot dishes, the casseroles, Jello, deviled eggs, pies, salads, desserts, and homemade bread....

And in every group there are one or two people 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 Pot Lucks......My earliest memories were of red Jello melting into the scalloped potatoes. AND that is just NOT right. That was what happened before I was allowed to dish my own plate because I could not reach the table.

So when I could hold the plate myself, there were no more red rivers running through the mounds 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 the pot luck….where everyone shares food, shares time, shares the work, everyone has a great time, and there is enough even for those who didn't bring anything...

….and not only everyone have enough....there are even left overs to be taken home....

As we approach the season of advent we are reminded of The Kingdom of God. And the promise that God has given of how the Kingdom will be like that too….We wait for that time when there will be Enough for everyone with much left over. We wait for the time when there will peace. And we wait for the time when Christ will come again. Advent is that time when we wait for the baby Jesus and for the second coming of Christ…. And we wait for that time when all will have enough…..The Kingdom is restored, but not yet….We wait!

Oh, and if you are having a pot Luck, Any time any place..., I will come!