Potluck Sunday

Our church has a tradition of having a potluck, or covered-dish dinner, on the fifth Sunday of the month when it occurs. About every three months, the calendar happens to have five Sundays instead of only four. And on those days, the ladies (and a few men) bring crockpots, casseroles, and baking dishes filled with delicious things to eat. After the pastor closes the morning service in prayer, we all make our way to the fellowship hall with big appetites and growling stomachs, and the aroma of hot food awaits our arrival.

One table is filled with cold drinks -- water and lemonade and iced tea. There is hot coffee to enjoy with dessert -- and there are plenty of sweet treats to choose from. But the main table is where the action is, where people fill their plates with  a little bit of everything. The selection of foods at potluck dinners varies widely, according to region. The food I was accustomed to seeing at these occasions, growing up in Pennsylvania, was entirely different from what we have here in South Florida. The variety of flavors one finds at our church dinners is incredible. Most people in our area, with the exception of a few "native Floridians", are transplants from other places. The foods at South Florida potlucks are as diverse as our people. Dishes from the Northeast and the Midwest, as well as traditional Southern foods, grace our table.  And what really makes our potlucks special is the sampling of foods from other countries. Foods from Cuba, Jamaica and other Caribbean islands are abundant at these shindigs, as are dishes from Europe and Asia. Our church has a dear lady from India who always brings us food from her Indian culture. A South Florida potluck is always an educational experience!

After we load up our plates, we make our way to the beautifully decorated tables and enjoy good food and fellowship. We are a diverse group of people. We are different colors and ethnicities. We are different ages and different genders. Some are rich and some are poor. We have experienced very different lives. But we do have one thing in common: the Lord Jesus Christ. And that is what really matters!

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 
Galatians 3:28 (ESV)