"Getting to Know You" -- Twelfth Night with St. Luke's Friends
I still have that great tune from The King and I stuck in my head from Pastor Erik's sermon on the fourth Sunday in Advent. He was talking about meeting his adopted sister in Thailand for the first time, and he illustrated the coincidence between his particular experience and the lyrics written by Oscar Hammerstein II for the new tutor in the court of the King of Siam by breaking into song from the pulpit.Part of the reason it's still stuck in my head, I suppose, is that this week has been a wonderful time to spend a little quality time with St. Luke's friends -- for instance, at our services on St. Luke's on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning, and at our Community Dinner on the evening of Christmas.Another reason is that I'm looking forward to a special new St. Luke's tradition -- a time to get to know others at St. Luke's -- the Twelfth Night Dinners that fall on Sunday, January 5.I asked Scott Shippy how the Twelfth Night dinners at St. Luke's came about. He told me, "The idea behind the 12th night dinners is to mark the official end of the Christmas season with a final chance for people to get together in a relaxed atmosphere. There is a no-agenda rule; it is purely a social occasion to get to know others and enjoy good food. Meeting in a fellow church members home with dishes that everyone provides is a small group setting that really facilitates building up the St. Luke's community." (You can read more about the tradition of Twelfth Night on Wikipedia.)I can confirm from my own experience participating in the dinner with 5 other people that I was part of last year that Twelfth Night is, in fact, a great time to kick back and get to know each other, in a way that is different than in worship, or in Bible study, or doing committee work. And the food is great! (PS - Advice to the kitchen-adverse like me: sign up to bring dessert and stop off at the neighborhood bakery on the day-of . . . ;-)Don't miss this great opportunity to get to know others at St. Luke's better! The Twelfth Night Dinners will be at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 5, 2014, and will be held potluck-style in the homes of members and friends of St. Luke's. Sign up on the bulletin board in the narthex or email Cathy Swanson at swannie76@gmail.com.