Faith, Freedom, and Barbecue…what three words could better describe those things near and dear to the hearts of many church members in the south. Truthfully, it seems that more than any other food in the United States, barbecue is often served with a side of religious fervor. The atmosphere and language that surround barbecue along with the words and phrases that people use to describe it are often rooted in things spiritual and holy.
Food writers, for example, speak about “the scales falling from their eyes” after eating their favorite barbecue, even though they are nowhere near Damascus (at least not the one in Syria – but perhaps near the Damascus in Georgia). And to some folks, pit masters are compared to preachers, and their barbecue pits, pulpits from which the holy “word” is served.
Is this sacrilege? I don’t really think so. The way I see it, perhaps barbecue fans are onto something very special. They recognize that religious words have power to describe things near-indescribable, things that are important and that matter, just like their faith in Jesus. Our faith matters, and we use words from our faith to describe the amazing barbecue we occasionally get to consume.
So as we enter into the month of July, I would ask you to consider the following: What a GREAT time of the year to Pray to the Lord, giving Him thanks for our Lord Jesus….who is the Cornerstone of our Faith (Ephesians 2:20), and also give thanks for our Freedom that God has granted us here in the United States through the sacrifice of many men and women, and lastly, also give thanks for barbecue, one of the staples of us God Fearing, Freedom loving people here in the South.
One last thought, please mark your calendars for July 10th at 5 PM and come enjoy BBQ and homemade ice cream at our Church Wide BBQ Social here at the Church.
Remember, Jesus Loves You And So Do I!
Pastor Jeff