Being relevant to the culture...

I was honored yesterday to be invited by my good friend Dan K to attend with him a luncheon that was an annual men's luncheon with some Basque farmers & ranchers and other men who have faithfully meeting for about 46 years or was it 63... Anyway it was impressive that these men gather together each year , the weekend before the Superbowl, to fellowship and do a good deed by raising money for a worthy cause, like Children's Hospital of Central California.

This was, as Dan said, a bit surreal. I felt like I was in a different world. First it was all men (except for the waitresses). But they were very well behaved, except for a few F-bombs and other explicatives. Very tame.

The Food. We started by a fellowship hour in the bar, which was packed with men of all ages talking about all the things that took place since the last time they gathered. Then we were called into dining room with a bull horn's siren. We were met with Barley Vegetable Soup and bread. Then came the courses... First pickled cow tongue, which was very good. Then came the potato salad, which was good as well. BUT then came a cavalcade of the bazaar. First came what was told to us by our new friends, Matt and John, "Lamb Fries." Dan asked if it was a special cut of meat and Matt told us it was from young lambs. I asked the waitress what it was and she unabashedly said, "lamb testicles." Alrighty, I ate a scoopful, tasted like chicken... testicles. Then came chicken livers, I ate two pieces, not too bad, tasted like... yup chicken. I thought, "alright what else could they bring out that would give me an experience..." BLOOD SAUSAGE. I thought I was on Fear Factor. But then they brought out some Lamb Chops and Pork Chops. Those were incredible. Last was the dessert, Vanilla Ice Cream on Sponge Cake with Caramel sauce and nuts. We were having a great time.

Then, they had a raffle and auction and raised about 2-3 thousand bucks for the hospital. Dan gave a great short thank you to the men and we went home. All the way home we reminisced about the meal.

I thought will the emergent church people include these people in "the dialogue?"

Thanks Dan