Pot Luck

Pot Luck

You either love them or they are the nemesis of church life. Also known as pot bless and love feasts. I like to call it what it is: a lot of pots filled with food and it’s the luck of the draw about the ingredients. Every church I have been a part of has some form of communal meal that takes place right after the Sunday morning service usually once a month.

Here in Bozeman, we have a pot luck the first Sunday of the month. Everybody brings something to share and there is always enough even for those who forgot. Wild game stew, salads, deviled eggs, Kentucky fried chicken for those who remembered last minute. I don’t forget but I cheat. On pot luck Sunday, I get up early and pop a Costco lasagna in the oven.

I have eaten pot luck meals all over the world. In Mexico, the meal consisted of goat stew. Not bad until you look in the cooking pot and find a goat head floating in its own juices. In Africa I was afraid to look in the big steaming caldron. It tasted a lot like goat with a little dog mixed in. Out in the bush the meal was simpler. After killing and plucking a chicken, it was roasted on a stick over an open fire. No plates necessary; just pull the favorite parts off with your fingers.

For years I have been a one-man campaign to revolutionize church pot luck. Instead of all the work of salads, meat dishes and vegetables why not just serve desserts. There is a large variety of sugary delights that would satisfy the most discriminating taste. Just think of all those pies, cakes, brownies, cookies and puddings that could grace those plastic, eight-foot folding tables.

For a more economical pot luck, all food items could be purchased at Costco. You can get anything there and in bulk. The Kirkland brand, in my opinion, takes the congregational meal to a more sophisticated level. From plastic plates to large chicken pot pies and tiramisu dessert. Wow! A meal to die for.

Lest I be accused of maligning the sanctity of the church pot luck, I want to thank all who fed me those wonderful meals over the years. A special thanks to those who remembered to bring dessert!