The doleful carnivore at Great Lent

Goodbye Pope, goodbye West,
goodbye grilled chicken breast.
Goodbye Borscht, goodbye Filioque,
goodbye yummy fricassee.
GOODBYE! Roman Holy See.

Not bad, not bad.

I choose the fast track to hell by way of a limerick:

There once was a man from Nantucket
His head wore an Orthodox bucket
A chicken, they say
Hidden out of the way
Till God came along and unstuck it.

I'm sorry. This idea just galls me. If this is personal, then who makes the rules? If someone else makes the rules, then how can it be about a relationship with God. It's like "loving" your wife on a schedule written by ministers.

Now, mind you, I understand some "ritualistic" things we do. But we do them to enlighten our understanding of something. And they aren't "rule driven", either.

So, can someone explain this from the Bible?

The Watcher:

Jesus didn't say "If you fast... If you pray... If you give alms." He said, "When you fast... When you pray ... When you give alms."

Early church writings like The Didache, which pre-existed any New Testament canon, show that the early Christians fasted regularly (The Didache says every Wednesday and Friday). St. Paul talked about abstaining from marital relations for a time of prayer (1 Corinthians 7:5; I would suspect that fasting in conjunction with that would have been a given).

While St. Paul of course talked about how neither eating nor not eating, etc., commends us to God, he was writing in the context of a church community that had already formed traditions around the Apostolic teaching (see, e.g., how St. Paul quotes Christ's words of the Eucharist in 1 Corinthians 11 and note how they differ in ways from Sts. Matthew, Mark and Luke). Much of what even St. Paul was writing was understood from within the context of teachings and practices that the Apostles had handed down from the Lord. I.e., what Christians did and what historically Christians have done is not exclusively found in the Bible.

The Lenten fast is much longer than it used to be. Over time, Pascha (Easter) became the time for new believers to enter the church, following their period of catechesis/instruction in the faith. IIRC, the catechumens' preparation time for their baptism and chrismation was somewhat lengthy, and at some point the benefit of this time of increased prayer and reflection was seen to be good for all believers, not just new ones. Besides, by joining in prayer and fasting with the catechumens, the church members were showing their support and solidarity and identification with them as members of One Body. So at some point, the long Lenten fast became a rule or practice for the entire Church, not just the catechumens.

Control of the passions is regarded as a needful activity (see, e.g., 1 Corinthians 9:27), something that the Saints and revered teachers in the Church over the centuries have always known and practiced and taught. The kingdom of heaven is taken by force, by those willing to struggle and strive to enter into that rest. Regular fasting in order to let the body know that the spirit/Spirit, not the flesh, is in charge, and in order to cause one to spend more time or attention to prayer only seems strange to us because we have largely grown up in traditions that weren't connected to what the historical Church has taught and done.

As One Body, there is a spiritual benefit for the members to be "on the same page," so to speak. I.e., when the members fast and pray together, there is a common focus and intensity to what they do. I'm sure there are people who can only think of what they are not eating, and what they are not doing, etc. Sometimes this is good, because if they have ears to hear and eyes to see, then this should bring to them an awareness of where their bodies and souls are attached too much to temporal things. Sometimes this is bad, though, because they miss the point of the fast - i.e., they turn all their thoughts to themselves and their needs and wants, instead of to Christ and prayer and repentance, and in order to overcome these earthly pulls.

The Lenten season is never a solo thing. There are increased services and Scripture readings in the Church. It's a time to lay aside one's earthly cares to the extent one can, and enter in to the Spirit and Life of the Church. One should couple one's fasting with increased attendance at these services in order to be strengthened by the Scriptures and to be of one mind with the Church.

It may seem "rule driven," but that's only because these are the "rules" that the Church has found over the years to be beneficial to the spiritual health and growth of its members. Bringing this back to
"the Bible," why are even non-liturgical/non-ritualistic "Bible-based"
Christians "rule driven" in their study by the "rule" that there are to be only a certain 27 books in the New Testament?

If you are near an Orthodox Church and have never visited one, you might want to drop in a few times over the next few weeks and see what Lent is all about. Some of the most beautiful and worshipful times occur during this season, beginning with the Great Canon of St. Andrew.

Fasting is in the Bible. The Jews fast on Yom Kippur. Most religions have periods of fasting. Modern Protestantism does not, so it's the outlier. The rules of the fast are set by one's church or religious tradition.

I understand fasting is in the Bible. I fully understand its purpose, and even the New Testament references to forsaking everything and being single minded for spiritual renewal or strength. These are not mysterious or strange. I have been to weekend retreats, where we engaged in brief fasting periods, for instance. But these were AIDS to prayer and study. They had no rules and no judgement for people who did not participate the same. In fact, it has always been stressed that any fast must be purely personal to be meaningful.

What I can't make heads or tails of is accepting "church" or "tradition" rules. This makes little sense to me. The way I see it, the "church" has no authority whatsoever. I do recognize that many scholars and wise people give good advice. But no matter how I try, I always end up seeing these things as obstructive, because we look at rules given by a church or men, as something holy.

Lent is not holy. It is not ordained by God. There is nothing in Heaven that it reflects. As far as there being rules, the only rule that seems real, is the commitment made between you and God, and whatever it He has asked you or everyone to do.

I was hoping someone had some kind of enlightenment from that perspective.

"The way I see it, "the church" has no authority whatsoever." St. Paul sees it differently. "...if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth." 1st Timothy 3:15. Now, Watcher does, St. Paul's attestation of the church as the "pillar and bulwark of the truth" constitute enough authority for you? If not, why not? And what then is your authority, besides your own interpretation of Scripture? The Orthodox and Catholics present have an entirely different view of the Church than you appear to have. We do not see it as a human institution, founded by men. We see it as the very Body of Christ, founded by Christ and established by the teaching of the apostles. The Protestant view you espouse is an innovation. Your opinions are interesting, but outside of the consensus of the faithful for nearly two thousand years. Why don't you come on by some Wednesday or Friday night during Great Lent, and see for yourself? Then you would have some first-hand knowledege about whether or not Great Lent, and the ancient disciplines thereor, are holy or not.

"Lent is not holy. It is not ordained by God. There is nothing in Heaven that it reflects. As far as there being rules, the only rule that seems real, is the commitment made between you and God, and whatever it He has asked you or everyone to do.
I was hoping someone had some kind of enlightenment from that perspective." The Watcher

1)Christ (God) established His Church, made Peter its head and said to him, "Whatever rules you make or lose on earth to shepherd my flock, are made or loosed in heaven as well." E.G., fasting, celibate priests in specified traditions, etc.

2)We, as Catholics, which is itself a commitment between us and God, have the perspective that God expects us to follow Peter's rules because they are also Heaven's rules. Ergo, Lent IS "holy" (your word) because Peter says it is, and Heaven reflects what Peter says.

What is so difficult for you to understand, my friend? You don't believe it, but you should be able to understand that, from our perspective, the rules are real. Some great man once said something like ,"If you don't know God, you can't know reality."

BTW, don't get too excited because Peter can't change any of God's laws(e.g., the Ten Commandments), just his own "Church rules."

A few more comments on fasting and lent from an Orthodox Perspective for Watcher. You seem to be worried about judgement from others. Its not the issue you make it out to be. one thing that struck me when i converted to Orthodoxy from a Protestant background is the emphasis on not judging anyone. It surprised and challenged me simply because it wasn't something that I found anywhere near as strong or prevelent in my protestant background. As far as fasting and judging, Orthodox Christians are continually told to keep their eyes on their own plate and not on anyone elses. Since I can't fast very well, being diabetic, this is a relief to me. When I converted my priest gave me one fasting rule which I can keep and thats to eat nothging before the eucharist. Of course, like the fool I am, I tried to keep the lenten fast, lasted two days, and got pretty sick.Father knew best.
The other issue that I havent seemed mentioned is ascetic practice. Look, we are humans, practice makes us better at everything we try. Fasting is not a large thing but practicing makes us better at doing the right thing when it counts. If you can't even avoid the temptation of KFC, how can you avoid temptation when it really matters and your relationships with your loved ones or the society around you are on the line? First be faithful with the little things. Well that's my two cents except to confirm the idea that the church has no authority is not at all scriptural, but rather simply a romaphobic reaction among some protestants. Its often said that we Orthodox and even Roman Catholics have a lower regard for scripture, but having been both protestant and now, by God's mercy, Orthodox I can say that this isn't true. We hold the scriptures in very high regard, but we hold the Church in much higher regard than Protestants.

Rod,

Just in time - Spiral Diner & Bakery just opened at the corner of Beckley & Zang! They serve no meat, but you woudn't even notice. Definitely worth a try even for carnivores.

I look forward to the Lenten Fast to stretch myself a little bit. Proper preparation, as Rod alluded, is necessary. My preparation today involves large amounts of Andouille sausage and beef pot roast.

"Keep your eyes on your own plate". Good advice. I've always liked the Jewish perspective on their dietary laws, which is basically that observing those laws brings God into the most mundane areas of your life, like "What do I want for lunch?". For me, every bowl of shrimp-flavored ramen, every veggie-lasagna, every bean burrito is a reminder of the Risen Christ and his sacrifice for our salvation. Somebody said before that he's diabetic, and a sure way to get chewed out by your priest is to endanger your health. So that's not at issue.

Anyhoo, happy peanut butter for the next month and a half!!

Rod, it's funny that you went to Baker's Rib yesterday. I'm not usually a big fan of eating at barbeque places, but I told my non-Orthodox hubby last night that if he felt like barbeque or ribs, this would be a good night to take advantage of it. So we went to the new Baker's Rib by our house. It was really good, and more than I could eat, so hubby now has leftovers for his lunch tomorrow.

As self-appointed judge of a friendly songwriting competition between Rod and Scott, I sez:

Rod's was good, it was fun,
He had Lahti on the run
But the yens of the Finn*
Made the other's seem but thin.

*I assume that Lahti is a Finnish name. And of course in the south "yen" rhymes exactly with "Finn."

As I don't eat much meat to begin with, that's not what I miss so much during Lent. Frankly, I miss the beer. Hence:

Goodbye to Fuller's ESB,
And other brews of varied ABV
Farewell to Oatmeal Stout, as I'll be drinking nowt, and must learn to do without.

Farewell to Sam Smith's Taddy Porter,
Your rich dark pint I will now cease to order.
Troegs' Big Hop, nectar dear, your cold smooth bottle held so near, for a time must set aside I fear.

(chorus)

We had joy, we had fun,
Pilsner Urquell in the sun
But by the end of this time
Even a Bud would taste sublime!

Rod, your prosody leaves a bit to be desired (I write songs myself, and the song lyric is among the most demanding and least appreciated forms of poetry.) You need somebody to spruce it up. It probably demands a woman's touch. Should you be advertising for the assistance of a meter maid?

A reason for you to vote for McCain, Rod:

washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080303/NATION/930538550/1001

Lots of pork at McCain's media party
March 3, 2008

By Joseph Curl - CORNVILLE, Ariz. — Sen. John McCain works the grill, talking nonstop as he twirls a pair of tongs, flips a dozen racks of baby back ribs ("always cook them bone down"), sprinkles on endless dustings of Hog's Breath seasoning and soaks the sizzling meat with fresh-squeezed lemon juice ("it's the key to great ribs").

And like most men, he loves to talk while grilling — about grilling.

"You know where you get the best baby back ribs? Costco. Seriously. The best," the presumptive Republican presidential nominee said as he entertained a band of reporters over the weekend at his valley ranch in the Red Rocks outside of Sedona.

He also cherishes talking about his home, which features a doormat that says "GEEZER (formerly known as 'Stud Muffin') Lives Here."

"The thing I love most about this place is having people over — mainly to make them listen to the music I like," he said with a laugh, shortly after Michael Murphey's 1975 hit "Wildfire" piped onto the wooden deck.

While the Democratic presidential contenders are notoriously elusive with the gaggle of reporters following their campaigns, Mr. McCain spent yesterday afternoon literally hand-feeding the press — pork, no less, a tough task for a senator bent on ending pork-barrel spending.

"Wait, that one's not quite done, gimme that back," he said to a reporter to whom he'd just doled out a hot rib, cut with the aid of his longtime friend, Sen. Lindsey Graham. "Here, take this one, this one's good. Wait 'til you taste this, mmm, man."

On the cusp of securing the magic 1,191 delegates with wins tomorrow in the Texas and Ohio primaries, the 71-year-old senator decided to take the weekend off and recharge at the ranch he bought in 1984 with his wife, Cindy, who also hosted the barbecue.

Clad in jeans, New Balance running shoes, a white sweatshirt emblazoned with a picture of his family, a ball cap from Maine and a pair of mirror sunglasses, the small, slim Mr. McCain worked not one but two four-burner gas grills.

"Never use barbecue sauce," he says with a smile.

"You take one-third salt, one-third pepper, one-third garlic powder and coat the bone side, and then you start the grill and leave it at the lowest heat level. Put it bone-side down. ... And then you take the lemons and you squeeze lemons. You do the lemon because it keeps it moist ...”

Like President Bush, who once a summer invites to his Prairie Chapel Ranch the journalists who follow him daily, Mr. McCain took the media on a tour of the homestead that could become the Western White House.

And like the president's ranch in Crawford, Texas, Mr. McCain's is modest, understated, with a few outbuildings, a rustic cabin-like house in the Hidden Valley, settled in the 1800s by the Mormons. But to the Navy pilot who spent five years in a Vietnam prison camp during the war, the 25-acre tract is a place to get back to basics.

Heading down into a lowland by the raging Oak Creek — past a tiny yard sign that said "Life Began in a Garden" into a spot with lights on the trees that he said looks like an "Iranian bazaar" — Mr. McCain waxed poetic about his home away from Washington.

"It's the most beautiful place on Earth: you can hike, swim in the creek — the stars are beautiful," he said. Pointing to a massive leafless tree with a huge nest in the high branches, he said: "There's a very big black hawk that lives there, that comes every year, and they almost always have a baby. And if you're really fortunate — I was one time — you can watch the mother teach the baby to fly. It was one of the most incredible things I've ever seen in my life. Incredible."

The McCains have worked with the Audubon Society to attract birds — some 67 different species already frequent the site — by planting native plants like yucca and wild grasses, as well as fruit trees. They saved a dead tree because it was home to woodpeckers — "It's a woodpecker condominium now."

The home, which has uses well water and a septic tank, is also eco-friendly — "Environmentally, it's good: We have solar panels and a fireplace fan that heats the whole place."

Like the Bush ranch, Mr. McCain also works here. Over the weekend, he had a slew of guests, including Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a front-runner for the vice presidential slot, South Dakota Sen. John Thune, Sen. Trent Lott of Mississippi and former Indiana Rep. Tim Roemer.

Even though he likes to relax at his Cornville home, he's always ready to talk politics. "I think we can make a play for California — it seems silly to abandon such a big state," he said as he noshed on a bratwurst covered with mustard. "We're going to campaign in a lot of states the Republicans haven't campaigned in for a while."

But he is not presumptuous: He left a barbecue apron hanging on the wall that said: "Hail to the Chef."

Asked if he plans to bring his grill skills to the White House — perhaps the Rose Garden — he said softly, but confidentally: "We'll worry about that when we win."