Hot Dog Theology
I love hot dogs. The hot dog is one of the great culinary inventions of human history. One of the things that I like about hot dogs is that they can be prepared so many ways and in so many different varieties.
As many of you know I am a native of Macon. One of the great institutions in Macon is the Nu-Way Restaurant. The Nu-Way is home of the famous Nu-Way hot dog, which is served with chili. To place a Nu-Way in one’s mouth is to enjoy a taste of heaven. In fact, I prefer Nu-Way hot dogs over manna in the wilderness.
Many of my parishioners might have noticed that when I visit them if they are hospitalized in Macon I usually do so either right before or right after lunch. This gives me an excuse to stop by the Nu-Way for couple of dogs on my way in or out of town.
The Varsity, I prefer the Athens branch, is another great hot dog institution. A Varsity dog is also a gourmet delight. Top off a Varsity dog with some onion rings or their hand cut French fries and one has a meal fit for royalty.
Recently I visited New York for the first time and enjoyed my first hot dog from a New York street vendor. It too was a tasty delight covered with sauerkraut and onions. It was quite different from the Varsity or the Nu-Way but good in its own way. It really warmed my insides on a cold and blustery day.
I also passed through Chicago recently and Chicago has its own style of hot dogs. Chicago style dogs are served with grilled onions, sharp mustard and celery salt. In fact the hot dogs might be a reason to go back to Chicago.
Yes, hot dogs come in a variety of styles and one can prepare them many different ways. Yet, regardless of the differences all hot dogs have one essential ingredient and that is the hot dog. Without the wiener there is no hot dog.
Christianity is a lot like hot dogs. The Christian faith comes packaged in many different ways. On a Sunday morning there are as many options available to us for worshiping God as there are options available for topping a hot dog.
Yet, at the core of these differences there is one common thread and that is a belief in the grace of God that comes to us through Jesus Christ. Whether we worship in a formal traditional way, a looser more informal way, or in a contemporary service, Jesus Christ stands at the heart of our worship.
We all may have differing beliefs over how to interpret the scripture, over differing theological points, and many contemporary issues, yet our common belief in Jesus Christ as Lord trumps those beliefs.
This past Sunday as I sat in the Dairy Queen eating lunch after church I looked around the place. Most of the folks had just come from church. There were a couple of tables of Methodists with whom I had worshiped a few moments before, but there were also those of other denominations enjoying their meal.
Though we worshiped in different places we worshiped for the same reason—that Jesus Christ is Lord. That thought was wonderfully satisfying as I munched on my hot dog.