Fast Times
Being a Seeker in my faith, I am enjoying this Lenten season as a Christian without a church. I have a very fortunate situation, in that I have a very comprehensive Catholic background, but I am now splitting my time between a non-denominational Christian church and an Orthodox ministry. It is two distinct ends on the spectrum of worship and both are enriching and enlightening.
This Lent, I have been doing my best to adhere to the Orthodox calendar of Lenten fasts and feasts. It basically means, that Monday thru Friday, I have to avoid:
meat
poultry
fish
dairy
eggs
alcohol
oil
OK. So, given, meat is easy to avoid. I basically do that anyway. Poultry, even easier. I am not a fan of chicken. Alcohol I can take or leave. Fish...harder, but not impossible (I am craving sushi though). Dairy and eggs...that's difficult, a lot harder than I thought. There is dairy and/or eggs in nearly EVERYTHING. Poor vegans. But OIL?! It is so hard to avoid oil. I was struggling so hard, and going so very hungry, until my friend C.J. told me he merely avoids olive oil as it is the richest and most common oil, and a little light oil is OK and fine for cooking purposes in watchful amounts. Thank God for grapeseed oil.
On the weekends, I can have alcohol and oil. But the thing is, when the weekend rolls around, my meatless/dairyless/eggless diet has made me ill-prepared to handle heavy, oily food and much alcohol at all. So I end up basically avoiding those things anyway. This is an experience, to be sure.
I'm not Orthodox, but I'm doing my best to follow this feast/fast schedule. I slip sometimes (how was I to know the black beans would have cheese on them, even if just a small sprinkle, at the restaurant?) but the goal is the same, and for the most part I've stuck to it well for someone who isn't bound to that religion.
What I'm drawn to most about the Orthodox religion is the discipline. I am enamored with the reverence, the tradition, and the discipline of this very regimented and yet very graceful expression of faith. I'm reading a lot of books about Orthodoxy and church history (though I am always somewhat skeptical of church "history"...history is whoever wrote the book's opinion of how it happened...but some facts are irrefutable, I suppose). I am also drawn to the individual relationship between the self and God that Orthodoxy supports. The church has a very supportive community, but at it's heart, it desires for the person to save their own soul before they worry about converting others. Salvation isn't just a one-day deal; you don't just "Get saved" and they move on. A person isn't "saved" until the moment they are accepted into Heaven; this is what I've always personally believed, and it's something they support in that community. It seems to touch the spirituality that lives within me.
I don't know if Orthodoxy is for me. The Orthodox church is mostly a surprise to me, really. C.J. and his wife M.J. have never tried to "convert" me, or even tempt me into joining their church. I always find that I'm inviting myself and seeking it on my own. I'm a Seeker in my faith and I don't know if this is the answer, but at the very least it has been a fulfilling stop along the way.
This Lent, I have been doing my best to adhere to the Orthodox calendar of Lenten fasts and feasts. It basically means, that Monday thru Friday, I have to avoid:
OK. So, given, meat is easy to avoid. I basically do that anyway. Poultry, even easier. I am not a fan of chicken. Alcohol I can take or leave. Fish...harder, but not impossible (I am craving sushi though). Dairy and eggs...that's difficult, a lot harder than I thought. There is dairy and/or eggs in nearly EVERYTHING. Poor vegans. But OIL?! It is so hard to avoid oil. I was struggling so hard, and going so very hungry, until my friend C.J. told me he merely avoids olive oil as it is the richest and most common oil, and a little light oil is OK and fine for cooking purposes in watchful amounts. Thank God for grapeseed oil.
On the weekends, I can have alcohol and oil. But the thing is, when the weekend rolls around, my meatless/dairyless/eggless diet has made me ill-prepared to handle heavy, oily food and much alcohol at all. So I end up basically avoiding those things anyway. This is an experience, to be sure.
I'm not Orthodox, but I'm doing my best to follow this feast/fast schedule. I slip sometimes (how was I to know the black beans would have cheese on them, even if just a small sprinkle, at the restaurant?) but the goal is the same, and for the most part I've stuck to it well for someone who isn't bound to that religion.
What I'm drawn to most about the Orthodox religion is the discipline. I am enamored with the reverence, the tradition, and the discipline of this very regimented and yet very graceful expression of faith. I'm reading a lot of books about Orthodoxy and church history (though I am always somewhat skeptical of church "history"...history is whoever wrote the book's opinion of how it happened...but some facts are irrefutable, I suppose). I am also drawn to the individual relationship between the self and God that Orthodoxy supports. The church has a very supportive community, but at it's heart, it desires for the person to save their own soul before they worry about converting others. Salvation isn't just a one-day deal; you don't just "Get saved" and they move on. A person isn't "saved" until the moment they are accepted into Heaven; this is what I've always personally believed, and it's something they support in that community. It seems to touch the spirituality that lives within me.
I don't know if Orthodoxy is for me. The Orthodox church is mostly a surprise to me, really. C.J. and his wife M.J. have never tried to "convert" me, or even tempt me into joining their church. I always find that I'm inviting myself and seeking it on my own. I'm a Seeker in my faith and I don't know if this is the answer, but at the very least it has been a fulfilling stop along the way.
posted by The Semi-Pro Chef at Sunday, March 12, 2006
7 Comments:
You'd make a good Jew...but I'm not sure if you're a "chosen one." I'll ask G-D tomorrow and get back to you.
I think that exploring different aspects of your faith is important to learning just what you do believe, and what you don't. For example, some friends of mine who are Catholic vary their attendence between the local parish and another chapel in a local monastery (by some cool bros, apparently)who do the chant thing.
Ok, we talked it over...and decided we don't want you. Good luck w/that whole Catholic vegan diet thingy :). Just remember, no matter how good you are at it, no premarital sex. And that includes oral. If you're not going to follow that rule, you might as well bend the others.
Thanks Ben. I'm quite happy being a Christian. Though I do have nothing but utmost respect for the Jews. Especially cute ones like you.
Thanks for posting, Queen of Fakes! I have been attending and I love the services I'm going to. I am learning a lot about many aspects of faith, Orthodox and otherwise. I appreciate the comment!
Good luck with the vegan diet. Did you know I was vegan for about five years? Back then, the things you are avoiding didn't even sound good to me. Now, I can't imagine eating that way-- I get a protein deficient headache thinking about it. It just goes to show how adaptable we are, and all the crazy psychology that goes with food. But I am a huge fan of disciplined eating and doing things differently to stir and test ourselves a bit. Abstaining for spiritual reasons can be such a rich experience.
Hi Suzanne,
Look at my lenten food blog for ideas about Orthodox fasting.
http://whatimcookingnow.blogspot.com/
Denise
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