Bringing People Together
From
April 26, 2025
It’s that magical time of year again: the birds are singing, the sun is shining, and somewhere out there, a grown man is staring into the depths of a Restaurant Depot meat locker like it’s about to reveal the secrets of the universe.
Yes, barbecue season is here. (And yes, this is yet another article by your pastor about barbecue. You knew what you were getting when you called me, so it’s too late to complain now.)
This is the season when I drag my faithful old Weber Smokey Mountain out of semi-retirement—my beloved, barrel-shaped companion that looks like R2-D2’s bigger, more poorly maintained cousin. Together, we embark on a noble quest: to transform briskets, ribs, and pork butts into something worthy of communal praise. Or at least worthy of second helpings.
If you’ve never smoked meat, let me explain it’s mostly waiting. There’s trimming and rubbing and heating and spritzing, but 90% of the job is just watching numbers slowly change while pretending you’re doing something complicated. From the outside, it looks like I’m just standing around drinking espresso in my backyard at 4:00 a.m., because I am.
But inside, I’m wrestling with deep questions like, “Is it time to wrap?” and “Why does everyone think barbecue is about hickory or mesquite when white oak is the true secret of central Texas barbecue?” and “Why am I up at four in the morning yet again?”
Why go through all this trouble? Because food—especially shared food—does something holy. It brings people together. It opens conversations. It comforts. It builds community in the simplest, most primal way: here, eat this, I made it for you. We all need to eat, so when we help one another in this potentially mundane task, it elevates the experience to something more. Especially if you’ve got a really good bark on the meat.
That’s why I’m excited about our upcoming Community Barbecue on May 3rd—a chance for school parents, alumni, church members, and neighbors to hang out, laugh, eat, and maybe argue about which sauce is best. (The technically correct answer is “good barbecue doesn’t need sauce”, but I will admit I do enjoy it anyway.)
And yes, I’ll be smoking some meat. Ya’ll are encouraged to bring some food as well, but you can come knowing that I (and also the amazing Candy, whose food is always a delight) will be providing smoked meats, and others will bring burgers and dogs.
Then, on June 19th, we’ll celebrate New Church Day the way we did last year. But this year you’re invited to enjoy smoked meat with another barbecue on June 19th – (this time with the addition of a Blood dDrive). Because if the founding of a new spiritual era isn’t a reason to fire up the pit, I don’t know what is and then a special New Church Day service on Sunday, June 22nd.
So come join us. Bring your appetite, your folding chair, and your best “mmm” noises. The smoke will rise, the meat will rest, and the community will feast.
Because in a world that’s often too fast and too frantic, slowing down for food and fellowship might just be one of the most spiritual things we can do.
Rev. Mac “Salt and Pepper Are All the Rub a Brisket Needs” Frazier, Pitmaster (also Pastor)
Washington New Church, 2025.04.25