Of baptisms, fresh starts and deep fried turkey

"Peter replied, 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins...'" (Acts 2:38 NIV84).

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV84).

This coming Sunday we're finishing our sermon series called "Faith Foundations" with a message about baptism. When I'm preparing for a message everything that happens that week tends to be seen through the lens of my study. This week has been no different.

Studying the doctrine of baptism, I've been thinking about how it symbolizes what Christ did for us and how it marks the beginning of a fresh start, a new life following Him. I've also been researching what the Bible says about the mode of baptism, so the practices of sprinkling versus immersion must be considered.

Speaking of new starts and immersion, we've decided to deep fry a turkey for Thanksgiving this year. The passing of my wife's parents in recent years has left us struggling with how to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. We always drove to their home in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia every year. Arriving on Wednesday evening, we would stay through Saturday and each day had its own unique tradition of large meals and family fun. 

But now our children and grandchildren look to us for what to do at Thanksgiving. That's where the deep-fried turkey comes in. We've never done it before and it seemed like a good idea for a new tradition. So, I bought a 30 quart turkey fryer that uses a propane burner. I've studied the process carefully and interviewed several "turkey fryer aficionados." These turkey chefs are passionate promoters of the fried bird, yet they all offered surprising warnings of what not to do.

"Don't cook it on your deck. I got a buddy who burned his deck down cookin his turkey!"

"Make sure the bird isn't frozen. If that turkey isn't thawed, it'll explode out of that hot oil like a guided missile across your yard!"

"Lower the turkey into the oil slowly, don't just drop it in there. And for goodness sakes, make sure you have enough oil. It'll take at least three gallons to completely immerse the whole bird. You don't want a partially cooked turkey!"

Awesome. Apparently, this can be a dangerous yet delicious method of cooking, which makes it all the more attractive for the men in my family. 

So, later today we'll be immersing a completely thawed, season injected, 18 pound turkey into over three gallons of boiling peanut oil, cooked over an open, propane driven flame. I hope this new tradition doesn't turn out to be a "baptism by fire."

Pray for us. We will let you know how our attempt at a new tradition turns out.

Comments

[Mike Wheeler]

Hay Gary... This is cousin Michael. I'm really proud of you man. Entering the Southern traditional redneck version of turkey in the straw is most appealing. Down here in our part of the county we're thinking of starting a tradition from neighboring Stantonsburg... "deep fried cornish hens" for a more refined experience.