Beth Ecker recalls the church potlucks of her youth and how they put on display the fruits of the Spirit!
It’s church picnic season, Calvary friends! I’m writing this from my small hometown of Eureka, SD, where the kids and I were able to get in on one of my favorite rural church traditions: the potluck! Last Sunday, the tables were sagging under the weight of potato salads (four!), deviled eggs, coleslaw (sweet and savory!), pasta salads, Jello salads (a testament to the culinary creativity of cooks of a certain era who termed these ‘salads’), and baked goods galore. The men grilled, the women set out the food, the kids carried pitchers of water, and everyone laughed and chatted, our arms sticking to the plastic tablecloths as we ate together. We reminisced about growing up in the church, and I mentioned that one of the things I fondly recall about these social events was that I felt useful—really, truly helpful—as I served others.
It went like this: my grandmother and her friends handed out responsibilities to every child. As a very little one, I was tasked with slowly carrying small cut-glass dishes of homemade pickles to the center of each table—we kids knew whose pickles we liked best and tried to place our favorites at our tables! When I grew older (and more coordinated), I was promoted to egg-coffee distribution, filling the gold and black carafes in the side room and carefully placing the vessels among the many tables of adults.
I knew I’d truly matured, however, when I was allowed to wash dishes with the women after the meal. Typically, smaller children were too underfoot in the narrow kitchen walkways to be given this privilege, so when I tied an apron around my gangly teen self, I was entering a new season of church life. As I wiped dishes with my embroidered flour sack cloth, I listened to the talk about raising children and grandchildren, gleaned wisdom about gardening, and learned about struggles facing our church family and missionaries abroad. I heard one mother offer to help with childcare for another while an older widow volunteered to bring a cake to a funeral being held that week for an out-of-town family returning to our church to bury a loved one. In short, these potlucks gave me a glimpse inside the workings of a vibrant church family: these people were cultivating the fruit of the Spirit because their Sunday-morning sermons were more than just liturgy—they were love, joy, patience, faithfulness, and more in action.
So, in honor of my church families near and far, and in appreciation of church potluck culture, I give you all a tried-and-tested Jello salad recipe, complete with fruit to round out the theme of this month! It goes quickly at gatherings, was my grandmother’s particular favorite, and was served at my parents’ (church basement) wedding reception. Enjoy!
Berry Whip Salad
1 (6 oz.) package of raspberry Jello
1 ½ c. hot water
1 (15 oz.) can of blueberries with syrup
1 (15 oz.) can of crushed pineapple with juice
¾ c. chopped pecans
1 (8 oz.) container of Cool Whip, thawed
Directions: Mix package of Jello with hot water and stir until dissolved. Stir in blueberries with syrup and pineapple and juice. Chill until slightly gelled, and then fold in pecans and Cool Whip. Chill until set and then cover. Makes one large potluck-ready bowl!