I only smoke the good stuff...

I just got home this past week for my Christmas vacation.  Upon my arrival, my family and I went out for dinner at a new barbecue place in Springfield called Whole Hog Cafe.  If first impressions are everything, this place was nothing.  Once we entered we were astonished to find that WHOLE HOG Cafe was out of pulled pork.  Try to get that one through your thinker.   So, in the absence of pork, my family ordered the beef brisket buddy pack, that serves four people.  We all got our fill, my dad and I probably could have eaten more though.  Big surprise...  As my family sat around talking, my mom mentioned that she was planning on making a brisket at home.  We've had a brisket sitting in the freezer for awhile now, and she was planning on cooking it the next week.  With thoughts of smoke filling my head, I proceeded to ask, maybe even beg, for her to let me smoke it.  She was pretty reluctant because she wanted to make it in the oven, roast style.  Somehow, she gave in, allowing me to smoke it.

That brings us to today.  Currently I am sitting on my back porch, two days into winter, in a hoodie and jeans, smelling the sweet smoke of hickory wood.  It seems a far cry from the studying for finals inside my dorm room because it's ten degrees outside I was experiencing last week in Chicago.  My weather channel Yahoo! widget tells me that it is currently 51 degrees.

This is my first endeavor into smoking.  It's also my first try at brisket.  If this goes well, my next large purchase will probably be a larger charcoal smoker.  The only charcoal grill I have right now is a small 14"x14" grill.  It has served me very well and has been the vehicle through which I have made plenty of chops, burgers, bbq chicken, brats, steaks, and dogs, but I think it's time for me to move up in the world of grilling.  This is the one I've got my eye on.

So tomorrow, hopefully I'll post again letting you know that the brisket was a success.

On another "B" note, I'm working on a mini sermon of sorts for Sparta Christian Church's Christmas Eve service.  Please keep me in prayer as I prepare for it. Thanks and Merry Christmas!

Best Fast Food Burger

Every Sunday evening for dinner Moody students are forced to fend for themselves since the Student Dining Room, lovingly referred to as the SDR, doesn't serve a meal Sunday night.  Some people make ramen or frozen pizza, some eat out, and some just go hungry.  Tonight I chose to visit one of my favorite Chicago eateries: Portillo's.  Portillo's specializes in Chicago "street food."  Constantly they win prizes and awards for the best Chicago hot dog.  If you don't like red hots, there are classic Italian beefs or Polish sausage.  If you are having trouble deciding between the beef or the sausage, don't.  Just get the combo, which is a Polish, and Italian beef all on one hoagie.  I've tried all of these, but my favorite is a rather hidden gem at Portillo's.

The burgers here are delicious.  Fresh, flame-broiled beef burgers with lots of cheese.  As I was eating my double cheeseburger tonight I realized it is probably the best fast food burger I've had.  The national chain Hardee's has a great burger for a fast food joint, but they are a close second to Portillo's.  So, here's the question for you:  What is your favorite fast food burger?

The Questioning Pastor

Last Winter I began attending Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.  Upon arrival at Moody, I began to look for a church to attend with the hope of becoming involved in the ministries of that church.  I spent the duration of last semester searching for a church to call my home for the term of my residence in Chicago.  As this semester began, The first church that I attended was Holy Trinity Church's West Side (HTCWS) congregation.  As Jenny, my lovely girlfriend, and I entered the upstairs of the building near the corner of Western and Roosevelt where HTCWS meets the handful of people that were already there greeted us both warmly and encouraged us to get some coffee and doughnuts--the mark of any good church...  Ok, just kidding about the doughnuts, but the attention of the people at HTCWS to making visitors feel welcome has been one of the reasons that I have continued to attend.
Later that week, the pastor at HTCWS, Oscar callled me to ask if we could meet and talk a little bit about HTC.  When we sat down, Oscar explained the history, organization, and outlook of HTC.  Then he expressed to me that he would like to see Jenny and I continue to be a part of HTC.  As a Pastoral Ministry major, the fact that Oscar came to sit down personally with me meant a lot to me.  I could see that he was dedicated to the growth and maturation of the congregation that he has been charged with shepherding.
I also noticed something interesting about Oscar.  He asks a lot of questions.  Important questions.

As I began researching for a paper entitled Philosphy of Pastoral Ministry for Pastoral Theology, I came across an article in the Anglican Theological Review that examined the importance of asking questions in pastoral ministry.  The author, Joseph Britton explains how the questions that God asks of humanity throughout the Bible (to Adam, Cain, Pharaoh, David, etc.) should inform the way that pastors go about their ministry.  He debunks the old myth that pastors are sufficient in their ministries simply by showing up.  Rather, he says, "Effective pastoral leadership is thus contingent upon having something to say."  In turn, it really should be no surprise that some of the best preachers in history have also been some of the best leaders in history.  Britton notes how Martin Luther King, Jr.'s inspirational sermons inspired thousands to follow him in the movement for civil equality.
This article made me realize that the reason I value hospitality in church members is that welcoming someone generally involves asking them questions.  When Oscar met with me, he didn't greet me by telling me how his day was.  He asked my how mine was, and he followed up my answer with more questions.  I will use this principle of my own pastoral ministry.  If you are not a pastor, surely, you are a leader in some part of your life.  Asking questions of the people you lead can help to bring out great ideas and productivity in your group.

Passages in this post:
Genesis 3--note the question in v. 9
Genesis 4--also v. 9
Exodus 10--question in v. 3
2 Samuel 12:9