I love my church

I forgot how much I love church potlucks. I grew up in the Baptist church, and the church ladies would cook up any excuse at all to have a potluck after the Sunday morning service.

"Isn't that a new hat that Viola is wearing?"

"Yes, so let's have a potluck next week!"

I was not a picky eater at all, so the prospects of not just one but 25 casseroles to choose from made a big impression on me. It still does, even in Minnesota where they're called "Hot Dish".

Our church, Jubilee Worship Center, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this weekend, and it started off this evening with a potluck and fellowship. Families A to L brought a main dish and dessert (woo hoo!) and M to Z brought a main dish and a salad. There were a total of 12 tables full of home-made heaven on earth. My only regret was that I couldn't sample everything without splitting open like the guy in "Alien".

After completely gorging myself and doing penance for gluttony (we were in church, after all), we had an impromptu program with open mic so people could tell stories or thank the staff and elders for running such a great church (I happen to be an elder, so that's what I heard at least). Pastor Mark's doppleganger, Pastor Bubba, showed up like he often does for these events, and I laughed so hard, I thought I was going to do the Alien thing anyway. Here's Bubba and Lena talking (sorry, the audio is pretty bad from my cell phone--for that matter so is the video) about Bubba's cousin the missionary:

The funniest thing about it is that Pastor Mark is as straight-laced as Bubba is goofy. It really is a Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde situation. One guy I know in church saw Bubba's act at three different church events over a period of 2 years and still wouldn't believe it was really Pastor Mark in costume. It was a mental leap that was just too hard to make. I think what really started it all years ago was the set of fake buck teeth someone gave Pastor Mark; now the rest is Vaudeville history.