what's with the potlucks?

I learned a lot from our dear friends at The Village in Tucson, AZ. Our pastor and his wife live in a community house and they had us over a few times a week while we lived there. This experience changed my life. I was able to be part of a larger "family." Sue made the most delicious food and I was always greeted with bright smiling face- people who had genuine concern for my life. We sat around this huge wooden table (that was BUILT in their house)and shared our lives. It was such a refuge when I was teaching. I never imagined God was using these experiences to train me in righteousness:

When David and I lived in Ann Arbor we started a potluck with our dear friends Dale and Julie. The church had this great building on the property called "the lodge". So every Thursday we invited the GYP's (Grads/young/professional) group to join us for delicious eats. The purpose behind the potluck was to include people from all different places in life to come together once a week and eat together. There are some great things that happen over a meal. I loved our Thursday night potluck at the church. We laughed together, cried together, and did life together. It was so fabulous! After dinner we'd go to the basement and rock climb, and some would stay late to watch The Office... So Dale and Julie had one kid at the time, and one on the way and there came a point where it was too difficult to drive in, so they decided to stop coming. Later David and I decided to move to Detroit and so also had to leave the potluck. But here's the beauty in all that: I am happy to say that 2 years later the potluck lives on! This should be our desire whenever we are part of starting something new.... that it would continue ESPECIALLY in our absence. I think it's a testimony of a couple things: first when there is a need and you are part of developing the solution to the need- if it's "for real"- it will last- it's a great mark of leadership- that you were able to delegate and create a self-sustaining group.So praise be to God that the pot luck still meets at Huron Hills Church in Ann Arbor, MI.

A couple weeks ago at dinner Chris and Leigh shared their hearts during "house night"- they fear that when David and I are in Arizona and then Africa (Dec-Feb) that they'll miss seeing the neighbors regularly. They struggle to engage people- but when people are around they do engage. Does that make sense? So anyway, they suggested a pot luck that we would host at the house and invite our neighbors. It is with great excitement that I can share we are 2 weeks strong in this initiative! We had about 15 people hold hands as we prayed over our meal last night.It's so great because once again it isn't about us and our agenda- it's about being facilitators of a need that already exists. We've lived here for over a year now and have had some solid time to engage with our neighbors- and it's so much fun to start going deep.

I love potlucks. I love food. And l love people. So this is good, it fits... and God is working in the VDP hippie commune. :)