The February meeting of the Board of Trustees will be convened after a pot luck lunch following services on Sunday, February 5th.  The Board has made the selection of workers to invite to serve at Camp 2012.  I am happy to announce the most important positions have been filled.  Carol Jean Urie will cook the first week and manage the kitchen while Bonnie Robison will cook the second week.  I applaude these courageous women for their willingness to serve in this capacity.  On the table at the back of the Church, you will find a grocery list of items that can be donated prior to Camp.  This list was prepared by Carol Jean.  If you have a desire to help out, check the list and as the items are brought, check them off.

After pot luck, a couple of you asked if Linda could let you know what the main dish was going to be ahead of time.  Well, here's the deal.  Pot luck is just that.  We eat whatever is in the pot that is brought.  I suspect though that some of you are a little confused between all the meals we are having at the Church these days.  The weekend that Cynthia has development class, the Church provides the main dish.  This is the agreement the Church has had with Cynthia from the start.  Linda volunteered to cook the main dish provided by the Church.  The side dishes and desserts are pot luck for the class weekend.  The monthly pot luck dinner is straight pot luck.  The Church does not provide any dishes.  All of the food for the monthly pot luck is provided by the members.  Linda asked me if I would clarify these two meals in the newsletter. I responded to Linda by saying that I could find a spiritual message in that topic and so I believe I have.
  

Jesus told his students to "feed my sheep".  Paul explained that one feeds a baby milk, but an adult eats meat.  There are many stories in the Bible that involve food and eating.  After all, food is an important aspect of good health and life.  Eating is also a good time to sit down with friends and family to catch up and visit.  I don't know how the pot luck dinner was born or when, but it is an old custom.  It is an opportunity to share with one another and attend to one of our most basic needs, nourishment.  Many recipes have been exchanged as a result of a favorite dish shared at pot luck.  Many dishes are tried that one would never have fixed for themselves.  Some dishes don't look too appealing but taste divine.  Some dishes look great that are just bland.  No one complains.  No one goes hungry.  Everyone pitches in and helps with the meal and clean up.  
  

When we all come together at Sunset Church, we each bring our problems and our gifts.  In every class and every service we find something we can use weather it is "milk" or "meat".  We are comforted when we are troubled.  We all mourn when one is in mourning.  We all rejoice when one rejoices.  We listen to each other and we share what is in our own hearts.  We accept the gifts others bring and willingly give the gifts we possess.  We don't turn up our nose, reject, belittle, or even dismiss the ideas and beliefs others come with.  We continue to look at and evaluate our own beliefs and continue to grow.  Believe me, I do not hold all of the beliefs I did ten years ago and I have embraced many new ideas and beliefs.  I'm certain we can all say as much.  Every Sunday is pot luck and I anxiously look forward to what I will find in the pot.
  

I look forward to seeing you soon.