Lenten Discipline
Have you ever participated in a Lenten discipline?
As disciples of Jesus, we are called to a discipline that contends against evil and resists whatever leads us away from love of God and neighbor. I invite you, therefore, to the discipline of Lent – self-examination and repentance, prayer and fasting, sacrificial giving and works of love – strengthened by the gifts of word and sacrament. Let us continue our journey through these forty days to the great Three Days of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
We have some Fork members who are interested in taking on " What Would Jesus Eat?" as a Lenten discipline. One could approach this several ways. There is a book entitled What Would Jesus Eat? but it calls for things like canned tomatoes and other processed foods. During Jesus' time there were no tomatoes and nothing came in a can. The book we have found to be most acurate is a book entitled, What Did the Ancient Israelites Eat?-Diet in Biblical Times by Nathan MacDonald. This text gives archaelogical evidence that certain foods were consumed by Ancient Israelites. There is also a website http://www.cookingwiththebible.com/recipes.aspx#lore that REALLY opens us up to variety in this "diet." Go to the bottom of the page and read the section about lore. These foods are also acceptable because although they were not necessarily mentioned in the bible and there may not be archaelogical evidence these foods existed, there is a high probability that these foods were "known to peoples of the Bible." So some of you will be strict and follow these guidelines to the letter:
Among the foods most likely available in first-century Nazareth:
Grains: millet, wheat, barley, sorghum (and their flours)
Legumes (pulses): lentils, broad beans, peas, chickpeas (pulses were roasted, dried, and used in soups and stews or ground into pastes and purees)
Vegetables: arugula, asparagus, beets, carrots, cabbage, turnips, endive, fennel, cucumbers, onions, garlic, wild mushrooms, leeks, wild spinach, stinging nettles, wild lettuce, wild thyme, wild garlic, wild mustard, and types of alfalfa, wild chicory, thistles (inc. artichokes), dandelions, watercress
Fruits: olives, figs, grapes, melon, pomegranates, dates, apricots, pear, mulberries, carob, watermelons (fruit by-products: olive oil, raisins, wine, dried figs, fig cakes, syrup, honey)
Nuts: walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, pinenuts, almonds (almond flour)
Spices: cumin, dill, cinnamon, mint, hyssop, mallow, chicory, mustard, coriander, salt
Milk and milk by products: butter, leben,(curdled milk), yogurt, cheese
Meat and related food: eggs, fish (salted), fish by-products (fish brine, fish gravy), lamb, beef (probably quite rare), fowl (chickens, doves)
This will be difficult for most people. Some of you may decide to eat in this manner for dinners only, weekends only and some will eat this way only for the pot lucks. We will get together for pot lucks and recipe sharing sessions three Friday evenings at 6:00 pm during Lent:
Friday, March 2
Friday, March 23
Friday, March 30
Please bring foods that contain these foods. For ideas and recipes see the other tabs under Lenten Discipline on this website. If you have a recipe to share send it to elizabethcgordon@yahoo.com and it will be posted.
If you would like more information please contact Elizabeth Gordon 422-6007.
