Dear Saints in Santa Fe and other far-off places:

Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ, who often shared meals around a table.

Potluck:  a communal meal to which people bring food to share.

Merriam-Webster helped me with this definition, but they needn’t bother.  Since my earliest memories I have been part of such occasions, always at church.  I had a chance to pick what I wanted under no watchful eyes, go back as often as the food lasted, and usually ended up consuming sloppy joes and a vast array of casseroles.

Perhaps you know potlucks by a different name:  pitch-in, shared lunch, spread, faith supper, carry-in dinner, covered-dish-supper, fuddle, Jacob’s Join, bring a plate, and fellowship meal.  Actually, I haven’t heard of most of these (they come from Wikipedia).  For me, once a potluck, always a potluck.

For quite a long time we didn’t have them and now we do every first Sunday of the month.  Adult Education begins the day at 8:30 am, followed by one service at 10 am in the sanctuary, followed by our potluck in Pope Hall.

Intrigued?  Bringing back memories?  Can taste that casserole as you read?  Well, here’s a little more information, again from Wikipedia, to whet your appetite:  “Pot-luck “appears in the 16th century English work of Thomas Nashe, and used to mean ‘food provided for an unexpected or uninvited guest, the luck of the pot.’ The modern execution of a ‘communal meal, where guests bring their own food,’ most likely originated in the 1930s during the Great Depression.”  Some believe that potluck originated as a North American indigenous communal meal known as a potlatch (meaning “to give away”).

There are at least fourteen stories in the gospels where Jesus ate with folks.  They don’t mention what he brought, or his favorite meal, but we do know that table fellowship was central to his ministry.  We still remember this by celebrating the Lord’s Supper.

And with potluck meals.  I hope you’ll join us on Sunday!  Bring any food you like.  No additional directions are necessary.

Wait, anyone have a good recipe for vegetarian sloppy joes?

Grace and peace,

Harry