Following a rabbit trail online, I first came across a woman who cooks a vintage meal from the ’50 era each week and documents it on her website, the Mid-Century Modern Menu. (Think spam casserole or potato-chip cookies.)
Then I found an article Ruth Clark wrote about collecting church cookbooks. These cookbooks don’t just contain recipes, she writes. They contain “[d]ecades of experience cooking for a family. Long nights spent preparing for church potluck suppers or charity dinners. The comfort that comes to the sick or the bereaved in the form of a warm, rich casserole or in the layers of a tall, fluffy cake served with a cup of coffee and much-needed conversation.”
But they contain even more than that, don’t they? They contain evidence of Christ’s love poured out through His saints for other saints.
“Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.” – Acts 2:46
It’s tempting to think that only the big things matter when it comes to kingdom work, i.e., the pastoral ministry, mission trips, and tithing large sums. But the Bible reminds us in countless moments how big the little things are. Prayer, for one, is more important than any action or works.
When it comes to food, fellowship over meals is more than just an occasions to socialize. And meals for the sick are more than just pragmatic help. These simple meals, even if they be impromptu potlucks with not enough food, are moments for us to taste the future feast that Jesus has promised (Matthew 25:1-13). So bake your macaroni casserole for church knowing that it matters, and more importantly, make sure you’ll be part of that ultimate fellowship meal that will be partaken of in heaven.
Do you have a favorite potluck recipe or fellowship-meal memory? Let us know in the comments!