I had an epiphany in Fast and Testimony Meeting today; Church is like a potluck. It's an especially appropriate analogy on Fast Sunday, not just because food isn't far from our minds, but because we come to church hoping to be spiritually fed, and in our church all kinds of people contribute. You're never quite sure what you're going to get, but you know you can get the opportunity/blessing to be able to contribute something. And by the end of the Sunday potluck we almost always end up being spiritually fed--especially when we bring our own testimonies to the feast. I really enjoyed the potluck today. Not just the fellowship, but the spiritual feast. That potluck also extends into Sunday School. "Potluck" Sunday School is the best. Especially when it's clear, like today, that fellow Saints don't just wait until Sunday to prepare and feast upon the word, but they're continually feasting on the word and therefore know the Word. Talk about a enriching and nourishing experience!
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4 comments:
I've been reading your blog for about two months. You posted a link on Jeff Lindsay's blog; which is what brought me here.
I love your family picture! It is absolutely adorable! Clearly, you and your wife are blessed.
I'm Methodist so we don't have F&T. But, I went to church today and we actually had a potluck! So you can imagine the smile on my face as I saw your blog title :) We had a great service, sermon, and fellowship. My congregation is small so it's fun and easy for us to share a dish.
I love to read blogs of various faiths as it's very warming. We really are all so similar, working towards the greater good for our fellow man.
Thanks for taking the time to blog!
Melissa
This is an interesting twist to 'cafeteria' style Mormonism. I wonder what your thoughts are on this contrast. To explain what I mean:
Cafeteria style Mormonism is a negative term criticizing Mormons who pick and choose what aspects of the gospel to put on their plate, and which ones they ignore. (I don't particularly like this term).
Now you have come along and taken this to the other side of the coin. People actually bringing in their own thoughts, opinions, experiences, etc. So it is not just a buffet, but a pot luck buffet.
I think this can be an interesting contrast in ideas. What are your thoughts?
Melissa--I'm so glad you took the time to leave a comment! I've enjoyed "meeting" friends from of other faiths and sharing thoughts through blogging. I ultimately believe that there is far much more that unites us than divides us. I enjoy seeking those commonalities much more than focussing on those things that divide us. Hope that potluck was good!
Eric--your thoughts made me chuckle. Good thoughts though. I think it would be an interesting discussion to compare. But I'm not recommending "cafeteria style" religion. I do, however, believe that the most edifying classes are those in which prepared people participate, where the teacher knows that he/she is not the focus of the lesson and has no personal "agenda" to get through, but allows the Spirit of God to be the true teacher.
Those Spirit customized lessons often occur because of other people other than the instructor. I've experienced both kinds of "feasts"--including where the teacher lays out the best china and serves up a beautifully prepared lesson or speech--but it's all about the teacher. I just tend to enjoy, and usually get more out of, the potluck style--as long as we're humbly sharing our insights as we "teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom" (D&C 88:77).
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