Retreats and Events During Lent

Read about Mike Slaughter's practice of retreat during Lent on his blog here.

He is the Pastor of Ginghamsburg Church which has become known as an early innovator of small group ministry, the Church “media reformation” and cyberministry, with the Ginghamsburg web site averaging 50,000 visits monthly from around the world. Since initiating The Sudan Project in January 2005, Ginghamsburg has invested nearly $5.6 million into humanitarian relief in Darfur. The resultant agricultural project, child development program and safe water initiative are expanding to reach a quarter of a million Sudanese refugees and villagers. 

Local Events

~ Friday March 1: Theology in Film will be showing "Food Stamped.", 7:30 pm in Calvary Hall. All are welcome. Free!

~ Jesuit Retreat House in Parma has Lenten retreats, Lucheon talks, and special events.

~ Moody Radio Cleveland - Lenten Study Series at Heights Christian Church, Van Aken Blvd  Feb 24 - Mar 24.

~ A Quiet Time with George Herbert, priest and poet
Saturday, March 9, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m at St. Paul’s Church (corner of Coventry and Fairmount) in Cleveland Heights.
The Reverend Roger Ferlo will guide us in readings and reflections of the beloved 17th century poet George Herbert.No prior knowledge of Herbert’s poetry is expected — just bring an open heart and an attentive ear, for a time of spiritual nourishment. Roger Ferlo is President of Bexley Hall – Seabury Seminary. A former parish priest in New York City, and faculty member at The Virginia Theological Seminary, he is a gifted writer and lively speaker.
To register call the Parish Office, (216) 932-5815.



f you know of any other events or retreats happening during Lent, please post in the comments. Thanks!

Haitian Rice and Beans

Living across from the school that I taught at in Port-de-Paix, Haiti for 3 years was a family run by Madame Robert (pronounced Robaire).  Her children attended our school, and she had a close relationship with the staff given her proximity to our daily activity.  

Her hospitality was uncanny.  Each day there would be some person stopping by to say hello, and many times it felt like her porch was Grand Central Station. 

I had the fortune to be the recipient of her hospitality on several occasions, the best of which was when I could taste her food.  You see, there’s a lot to be said about when it comes to Haiti, but when you live there for an extended time you begin to see past that.  Haiti at its core is a beautiful place with beautiful people.  Madame Robert, with her good food and great hospitality, showed that.  Below is a recipe for Madame Robert’s diri ak pwa (rice and beans).  Enjoy!

Rev. Erik Marshall

From http://rehobothhaiti.com

Madame Robert’s diri ak pwa (rice and beans)

Ingredients:
1/4 c. oil
3 c. white uncooked rice
2 t. salt
chicken boullion cubes (I like Maggi brand)
2 scallions, chopped
1 T. tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, pressed
Pinch of cloves
2 cans black beans, drained, but not rinsed

In stockpot or very large skillet (either needs a fitted lid), heat 1/4 c. oil on medium-high heat. Add 1 bouillion cube, garlic, salt, cloves, scallions. Saute for 1-2 minutes. Add beans and tomato paste and stir togther until well-mixed. Add rice and saute until light brown (5 min. or so). Add 5 c. water or chicken broth (or a mixture of both) and bring back to a boil.
Let boil until water is mostly evaporated and little bubbles appear at the top of the rice.
Turn heat down to lowest setting, cover tightly, and let cook for 20 min. or so.

A couple of tips: 
- the shallower the pan, the better it cooks and the less "pasty" the rice will be.
- this is a large amount of rice - you can half it, if you want. When I make rice for our family to eat, I make 2 cups of rice (3 c. of water, 1 can beans) but I wouldn't change the amount of spices.

Is God Disturbing Us This Lent?

Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves,

When our dreams have come true

Because we have dreamed too little,

When we arrived safely

Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when

With the abundance of things we possess

We have lost our thirst

For the waters of life;

Having fallen in love with life,

We have ceased to dream of eternity

And in our efforts to build a new earth,

We have allowed our vision

Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,

To venture on wider seas

Where storms will show your mastery;

Where losing sight of land,

We shall find the stars.

We ask You to push back

The horizons of our hopes;

And to push into the future

In strength, courage, hope, and love.

Sir Francis Drake  (1540-1596)

A Sampling of Books in the Church Library

Lent

"The Desert: An Anthology for Lent" John Moses

"From the Edge of the Crowd: Meditations for Lent"  James E. Sargent

"Meditations on the Cross"  Dietrich Bonheffer

"Sensing the Passion: Reflections During Lent"  Kevin Scully

"Forty Days with the Messiah: Day-by-Day Reflections on the Words of Handel's Oratorio"  David Winter








Fasting

"Fasting"  Scot McKnight

"The Beginner's Guide to Fasting"  Elmer Towns









Hunger

"Ending Hunger Now: A Challenge to Persons
 of Faith"  George McGovern, Bob Dole and 
 Donald E. Messer

"Exodus from Hunger"  David Beckmann

"50 Ways You Can Feed the World"  Tony Campolo & Gordon Aeschliman

Is Fasting making you think in a different way?

Fasting in Lent can make us think about people who are less fortunate than us

and even think differently about Lent itself.    

Is fasting causing you to experience a different way of thinking?

To Keep a True Lent

Is this a fast, to keep

The larder lean?

And clean

From fat of veals and sheep?

Is it to quit the dish
 Of flesh, yet still

To fill

The platter high with fish?

Is it to fast an hour,
 Or ragged to go,

Or show
    A downcast look and sour?

No, 'tis a fast to dole
  Thy sheaf of wheat,
And meat
 Unto the hungry soul.

It is to fast from strife,
  From old debate
 And hate
To circumcise thy life.

  To show a heart grief rent,
To starve thy sin,
 Not bin,

    And that's to keep thy lent. 

by Robert Herrick, (1591 - 1674)

This is one of Ele Richardson's favorite poems.

Some reflections on eating rice and beans, and spinach for 3 nights....plus recipes.

First, I have to say that this is comfort food to me, since this was my standard meal while I was in the Peace Corps many years ago.  So, I have been reminiscing and also thinking about contrasts between cooking this simple meal in my kitchen in the U.S. and cooking it in Tanzania.

First, I did not go to the market every day this week and buy just enough for one night.
I did not skimp on the vegetable oil I used to fry my spinach.  Vegetable oil was so precious in Tanzania.  It was expensive and we didn't always have it.  We would buy a little bit at a time.
I did not have to gather fire wood to cook with, and I did not have to keep a fire lit for 3 hours to cook beans.
I did not have to grate or soak the coconut in order to have coconut milk to flavor the beans -- I bought it in a can.
I have a refrigerator, so saving leftovers didn't seem quite as risky.
There is nothing like the aroma or the flavor of fresh rice -- rice that is fresh from the harvest.  I have never tasted rice like that in the U.S.
Being full of rice and beans and spinach still feels really good.

One way that people in Tanzania compliment good food is to say it is "tamu," which literally means "sweet."  When I heard this description of a bean dish one time early on in my PC years, I figured the cook must have added some sugar.  (After all, we put sugar in baked beans, right?)  So, the next time I made beans I added some sugar.  Boy, did my guests laugh!  They laughed and laughed and laughed!  And then laughed some more!  Haha!  She thinks "tamu" means put sugar in!  Hahahahaha!  I didn't do that again.  But my cooking improved, and after a while I could make beans that were really tamu (without sugar).

Chris McCandless


Chris' beans with coconut milk:  (maharagwe kwa nazi)

Soak a bag of small red beans overnight.  Cook them on a low boil until they are cooked (2 and a half to three hours-ish?)
Have just enough liquid left in the pan that you can mash some of the beans with a potato masher and have a thick-ish broth.
Fry an onion and some garlic and a tomato.  Add to the beans with some salt, a little dried red chili pepper, and some coconut milk.  Simmer to let the flavors blend. Sometimes we add some turmeric, too.  Mash some of the beans a little more if the broth is too thin.

Chris' spinach with peanuts: (mchicha kwa karanga):
Chop or mash some peanuts until they are finely mashed/chopped.  Fry some onion and garlic and tomato.  Add spinach and some salt and fry 'til it is just cooked (not too long!).  Stir in the mashed peanuts.

These are staple foods and are eaten over rice, with ugali (which is like grits, but stiffer), or with chapatis.

This is a picture of an "mbuzi," which literally means "goat," but is actually a coconut grater.  You sit on the stool, and grate the coconut over the blade into a bowl.  It takes about half an hour to grate a whole coconut.  Then, you soak the grated coconut meat in water and wring it out.  The coconut "milk" is the fat, which rises to the top.  You skim this off to use as a flavoring in various dishes.

Tina's Recipe for Beans and Rice

Cuban Black beans

Ingredients
1 (1-pound) bag dried black beans
4 quarts water
1 smoked ham hock (optional)
1/3 cups olive oil
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
12 cloves garlic, peeled, finely chopped
12 small sweet chile peppers, seeded and finely chopped (or your choice combo of hot peppers) I also do this with 1-2 chopped red sweet peppers instead. 
2 bay leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon whole dried oregano, crushed
1 cup dry red wine
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Cumin Scented Rice, recipe follows

Directions

(See pressure cooker note below, this eliminates the soak and the long cook times)
Pick over beans, discarding any shriveled ones or foreign particles. Wash well and soak, covered in water, for 4 hours. Drain beans and place in 4 quarts of water in a soup pot. Add ham hock to the beans. Bring rapidly to a boil. Reduce heat to moderate and simmer beans until tender, about 35 to 45 minutes.

In a saute pan, heat 1/3 cups olive oil. Add the chopped onions and garlic to the pan and saute over low heat. Add the chopped chiles and season with salt and pepper. Add the bay leaves and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add 1 cup of drained black beans to the onion mixture in the saute pan, and mash thoroughly with rest of the ingredients in the skillet. Stir in the sugar and the dried oregano.

Add the bean and onion mixture to the bean pot. Cover, and simmer for 1 hour, at moderate heat. Add red wine, vinegar, 4 teaspoons dried oregano and cumin. Uncover and cook until sauce thickens. Serve hot.

(Alternatively, I saute the onions garlic and peppers in a pressure cooker, add the spices (all ingredients except vinegar and sugar) and cook the whole thing in the pressure cooker for 30 minutes and allow the pressure to release naturally.  I then just mash a little in the pot and add sugar and vinegar. )

Cumin Scented Rice:
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
3 cups uncooked basmati rice
2 small limes, juiced
6 cups cold water
2 teaspoons salt

Heat butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. When butter is melted, add cumin seeds and saute for 1 minute. Stir in the rice and cook for 2 minutes.

Turn the heat to high and add the lime juice, water and salt. Mix well. Bring to boil on high heat. Reduce heat and cook covered on low for 15 minutes until water evaporates.

Some links to check out on Lent and fasting.

What is fasting, exactly? Check out a great blog post here .

Prayers for Lent  At this blog, Rachel writes a prayer each day for Lent. Those who wish to join her in writing their own prayers can add them to the comment section of each daily post.

For Facebook users 'Like' the official page of "A Place at the Table" book.

More ideas for keeping a Holy Lent here .

If you have any others to share, please click on "comment" below and add them.

"Food Stamped" - a Movie about Hunger in the US

On March 1 at 7:30, Theology and Film will feature "Food Stamped," a documentary.
In keeping with the church's focus on hunger we are using a movie about this tragedy  for our next theology in film meeting. FOOD STAMPED is an award wining hour long documentary by a husband and wife team who film themselves living on food stamps. They also interview politicians, school food administrators, and talk to people who  to depend on the government for food,. Please join us for this eye opening look at Americans having to live with a correctable condition. The film will be shown in the Parlor and is family appropriate.

Please bring family and friends. There will be a time for discussion afterwards.

Do you know of any other Films or Documentaries on the subject of hunger? Click on "Comments" to share your suggestions.

One Family's Choice of Fast

Ok, bring it on. The Sperls are gearing up for this. We have decided on rice and beans. We are excited and every night we try to define the parameters of just how we are going to do it.

Does Ben have rice and beans in his school lunch? How about breakfast? Of course, I will certainly enjoy my coffee BEAN! Maybe with RICE Krispies. Sundays will likely be feast days - perhaps a chicken or two! We also have three birthdays and Valentine's day during Lent. Do we make an exception? Cindy has said she is pleased that her special day falls on a Sunday.

By IRRI Images

Cindy has been digging through recipes finding variations from all over the world. This should be a wild ride and we are looking forward to hearing about your fast as well.

Certainly God isn't holding us to this. I do feel that our effort to eat in solidarity with much of the world will be a very eye-opening experience. I believe it will help in my family's reflection on what Jesus did for us so long ago and how He has called us to care for the hungry.

Here's a sad confession, on a very shallow note: Who knows, I may even lose a pound or two.

Our family plans to use the grocery money saved for the Feed My Starving Children food packing event on May 18 that our church is hosting.

Please join us, Church FAM!!!

This Lent take your Place at the Table

 “Whenever I begin a fast, I do it in hopes of becoming a different man – a grateful man.  It is my greatest hope that through our willingness to be vulnerable, to be changed, to be active agents of hope in a world that so desperately needs it, we will encounter the risen Christ together and be renewed and changed forever.  Will you join me on this journey?”​                     
                                                                                                Chris Seay  "A Place at the Table"

For this church year Church of the Saviour has been focusing on the theme of hunger.  In the Fall we had Project 5000 when we set out to provide 5000 meals to the Cleveland Food Bank.      Our congregation responded in an amazing way, and we far surpassed that goal by providing the equivalent of 8000 meals.  We are looking forward to another whole-church hunger project in May, called Feed My Starving Children in which we will be providing 100,000 meals that will be distributed world-wide.

 Right now, though, we are approaching the season of Lent, and we have another opportunity for our whole church to focus on hunger in a different way.

​
Several ministries at COTS have partnered to bring you a Lenten Study called “A Place at the Table, 40 Days of Solidarity with the Poor,” by Chris Seay, a pastor and church planter in Texas. When I picked up this book and started reading, I couldn’t put it down.  It is honest, funny, convicting, and inspiring. Chris Seay is a guy who loves food, and he challenges us to approach Lent in a new way:  to heighten our awareness of the way most people in the world eat on a daily basis.  The book encourages us to fast, but when I say “FAST,” I’m not talking about going without food for 40 days or even one day!  The fast may look different in every household: - 

​- One family may choose to eat the diet of a child they sponsor in a developing country.  

​- Another may choose to limit their grocery budget to the amount a family would receive on food stamps.  

​- One year during Lent, our family had Wednesday night simple meals from somewhere in the world -- a simple bean burrito or rice and beans or maize porridge and beans.  

​- Some individuals or families may choose to give up meat or soda or sugar or technology.  

​
There are a variety of ideas in the book, and the point is for each person or family to intentionally choose how they want to participate in a way that will lead them to a deeper understanding of hunger in the world and a deeper relationship with Christ as we approach Easter.

The book includes daily devotions, and Chris Seay’s website includes abundant resources such as daily videos and meal ideas. On this blog we want to share our Lenten experiences with each other, and several of our church’s small groups have chosen to study this book together during Lent.  If you’d like more information about joining one of these groups, watch for it in your bulletin, the Chimes or here on the blog.

When you leave the worship on  February 10, there will be tables with books at each exit.  You are invited to take a book – they have already been purchased by the church.  If you would like to make a contribution, any donations will go toward the upcoming Feed My Starving Children project – the one where we are going to provide 100,000 meals that will be distributed worldwide.

Prayerfully consider stepping out on this Lenten journey. Be prepared for change.

“Whenever I begin a fast, I do it in hopes of becoming a different man – a grateful man.  It is my greatest hope that through our willingness to be vulnerable, to be changed, to be active agents of hope in a world that so desperately needs it, we will encounter the risen Christ together and be renewed and changed forever.  Will you join me on this journey?”​ 

Chris McCandless