Ah, the potluck. The Lutherans proudly claim ownership over the culinary art, but I have a feeling the Methodists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, our best friend Catholics, and all the rest of humanity know how to maximize on the opportunity to partake of numerous savory nourishments. Nevertheless, we Lutherans will still insist that we have perfected the casseroles and pies and fruit punches to marvel all the tastebuds in fellowship halls all over the world.
Of course, it isn’t just about that. It’s about the recipes being passed down through the generations, not even knowing with whom it exactly started. Perhaps it went as far back as the ancestors from the other side of the Pond. But we’ll remember the parents and grandparents, who stood over their precious kitchen counters for their own dedicated attempts to perfect the right teaspoon of this and tablespoon of that for their cherished church’s rally day or summer picnic or even to help a grieving family for a funeral luncheon. It was their own source of humble pride, in a sense, to see their siblings in Christ enthusiastically partake of their tasty work.
But it isn’t just about that, either. It’s almost as if the novel artform of the potluck tends to unleash the most contagious laughter and joy and deepest appreciation of life as a whole. The food with its seemingly soul-reaching goodness, and not having to worry about overly proper restaurant social decorum, perhaps, allows the children of God to focus all the more on the heart-warming conversations: from sharing the memories of parents and grandparents who called their church their second home, to giving updates on the next generation of children, not to mention our litany of aches and pains and managing the daily grind. We will take it all in with these potlucks, for they are not simply about the most amazing collection of casseroles and pies and fruit punches, but of the collection of lives immersed in Jesus Christ.
And so it will be this Sunday, June 8, as we give thanks to God for our beloved Pastor Doug and Danette, and bidding them farewell for (hopefully) their journey of rest and renewal and new life. As always, as a church body, we will do so with the foundation of worshiping this God who is with us through all the life-long collection of triumphs and sadness and Resurrection-like moments along the way. Then, as well we should, we will conclude with our pride and joy of the potluck, but not just for the food, but for the bittersweet and joy-filled conversations to ensue.
To somehow convince ourselves that no matter how gloomy we may feel over the reason to pack our building with savory goodness, we will somehow be reassured yet again of the Gospel that can still somehow prevail. That our parents and grandparents endured these days, too, including having to prepare their family favorites for godspeed occasions, but they kept coming back to their second home. They kept going back to their precious kitchen counters to prepare for the next rally day. They kept going back, because Christ came back from sin and death and still has never left. So, somehow, someway, let us still eat, drink, and be merry, because Christ is still Risen, indeed!
In Christ,
Pastor Brad