A vegan menu for those new to vegan eating that uses only ingredients from the supermarket. For those new to Orthodox fasting.

I wanted to share a vegan menu for people new to vegan eating that included only common ingredients from the supermarket.  This is not an oil free menu.

The first time I decided to attempt a fast, I stopped eating for the day in order to pray for a friend.  I ended up lying on the couch with a massive headache and too dizzy to be able to stand.  I asked my (Baptist) pastor what I should do.  She didn't have an answer for me.

Then I discovered the Orthodox church, with a very long tradition of fasting.  An Orthodox fast is fasting from all animal products for the 40 days before Easter and Christmas.  Fasting is hard.  It's a struggle.  And that's o.k.  You're building up your will power muscle gradually.  You can't run a whole marathon without any practice.

After trying and failing to complete an advent (pre-Christmas) and lenten (pre-Easter) fast I decided to slow down.  First I did a vegetarian fast for two weeks before Easter and Christmas.  Then I extended it to four weeks. Later I cut out eggs, and later still dairy.  It was a few years before I managed the 40 day vegan fast.

These recipes are just part of the practicalities of the fast.  It's more important to fast from anger, hate, judgement and other sins and to pray and to repent.  Your spiritual father should be able to give you advice.  But if you're feeling alone and just don't know what to cook, despite your best resolutions, I hope these recipes help.

	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snack
Mon	Banana Porridge	Salad Sandwich with hommus, artichoke hearts, grilled egg plant, roasted capsicum.	Stir fry with cashews and noodles	Vegan banana muffin
Tue	Avocado Toast	Salad with pumpkin and pinenuts Replace honey and oil with a tiny bit of balsamic.	Falafel wraps  or you can buy pre-made falafels or a falafel mix.	Apple and almond/peanut butter
Wed	Orange and Pear Bircher Muesli	Salad Sandwich with hommus or avocado and baby spinach, tomato, and grated carrot.	Soup and bread Also used in the dhal recipe for friday	Hommus and rice crackers Use any brand of hommus and crackers.
Th	Avocado Toast	Greek lentil Soup or leftovers	Homemade vegetable pasties	Veggies and peanut butter
Fri	Blueberry Porridge	Salad Sandwich	Dhal and rice	Popcorn
Sat	Toast with avocado, wilted spinach, baked tomato and pan fried mushrooms	Take away Vegetarian Sushi	Lentil Bolognaise	Fruit and nuts
Sun		Left overs	Oven baked jacket potatoes with chilli sin carne.  Top with a mix of fresh tomato, avocado, coriander, lime.	Protein ball

I want the depth of the church to be available to my children

Dear Children,

Yesterday, we visited a mega church. It's not a new experience for any of us.  But I've learnt some things since joining the Orthodox church.  I have a whole new experience and understanding to draw on.  My experience gives me new perspectives.  I'm glad that you have had these varied experiences also.  You understand that there are other ways.  I hope that makes you understanding of others, and accepting of others, and willing to listen.

I found it interesting to compare this church, and our own tiny Orthodox church. I am fascinated by the differences, and I'm fascinated how underlying beliefs change the way people act.  I'm always asking, "Why is this as it is?" and "What is the effect of this belief?"  I'm worried that you think I dismiss anything that isn't Orthodox.  Questioning why is not saying it is bad.

The service was bright, appealing, flashy, slick, entertaining and professional.  The MC spoke briefly, the transitions were smooth, the videos were expert, the singers were in tune, the band played well.  It was short and punchy.  The people up the front were well dressed, happy, representative of the congregation.  The music was familiar. The sermon had jokes and pop culture video, interesting quotes, and talked about the ordinariness of our every day lives, speaking to our culture's desire for fame and fortune.  All the senses were engaged.

The ushers standing around had t-shirts that said, "Here to help" on them.  I love that.  What a great invitation written on a T-shirt.

I could see that you might be attracted to this.

Our own church is small.  It's very unprofessional.  There's no video, no band, no well dressed and groomed people ready to be video recorded and beamed up onto the big screen.  The music is ancient, and the same every week.  The sermons are about the bible.  It's long.

I'm so glad that you hear the same prayers and scripture readings over and over.  They're imprinted on your brain.  When you need them, the Holy Spirit will bring them to the front of your mind.  You can listen for a long time.  You have experienced sacred ceremony.  You know the creed and can test any teaching against it to see if it's really what the church has always believed.  You are aware of the long family tree of followers of Jesus who can share their wisdom from the last 2000 years with us.  You have experienced traditions that will guide you, the doing will lead to the understanding.

What I worry about is that this slick mega church presentation will cheat you of something.  I'm worried you'll miss out.  It's FOMO! (Fear Of Missing Out) I'm worried that you'll miss out on depth, on wisdom, on Christian teaching, on answers on how to follow Christ when the going gets hard.

I should not worry.  Jesus said that.  But I hope I can teach you to question, and to seek and to find eternal answers that matter.

For the humble man is always at rest, because there is nothing which can agitate or shake his mind. Just as no one can frighten a mountain, so the mind of a humble man cannot be frightened. If it be permissible and not incongruous, I should say that the humble man is not of this world. For he is not troubled and altered by sorrows, nor amazed and enthused by joys, but all his gladness and his real rejoicing are in the things of his Master.  - St. Isaac the Syrian,  “Homily 72: On the Vision of the Nature of Incorporeal Beings, in Questions and Answers,” Ascetical Homilies of St Isaac the Syrian

Four things about me

From Jen

A) FOUR PLACES I GO OVER AND OVER: School, Church, School, the market.

B) FOUR PEOPLE WHO ENCOURAGED MY FAITH ALONG THE WAY: my parents, my science teacher Mr Park, my college lecturer Fr. John, my best friend (and no 5. my internet buddy Ian)

C) FOUR OF MY FAVORITE FOODS: roast sweet potato, lasagna, bruschetta, banana pancakes

D) FOUR PLACES I WOULD RATHER BE RIGHT NOW: on a warm northern beach, in a tent, in the bush, in bed

E) FOUR MOVIES I WOULD WATCH OVER AND OVER: The Princess Bride, Love Actually, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Alex and Emma

F)FOUR THINGS I LIKE ABOUT THE ORTHODOX CHURCH: the truth, the unchangingness, the humility of long time Orthodox Christians, the physicalness of it all

G) FOUR OF MY FAVORITE HOBBIES: gardening, writing, walking, reading

If you are reading this, you are tagged! Please be sure to post a link to your blog in the comments, so we can all read about each other.

Pentecost in Australia

Pentecost by Jacqui Grace

The colour of Pentecost for the Orthodox is green. Bright spring green as a sign of new life, growth, eternal spring, eternal new life, rebirth, regeneration. Churches are decorated all over with spring growth. I can imagine it is very beautiful. But I can only imagine, because here there are no spring flowers to bring to into the home or church.

True, I can find some camellias, azaleas and correa branches with their little red and yellow winter bells. But there is a certain incongruity in my soul, a pretending and dishonesty to celebrate new life in this way when all around the dark is closing in. I've tried to tell myself that the flowers are a sign of the Holy Spirit's new life in the midst of darkness, the spiritual reality as opposed to the physical, in the depth of winter a sign and reminder of new life. But it did not ring true.

We did bring in some camellia flowers to church Pentecost day. The children placed them at the front at the pictures of Jesus. They scattered pink petals where ever there was a flat surface to do so. But what remained in my heart, my soul, was the feeling of warmth from our camp fire the night before.

In a little hesian lined hut with no electricity we prayed together by lantern light, the room aglow with candles. Following prayer we headed to the bonfire to make chai tea, heat our dinner, chat and paint flags with images and symbols of Pentecost to some world beats. On a cold wet night it was nice to be outside, warmed by the fire, safe and peaceful in it's light in the darkness. What better symbol for the Holy Spirit than a burning fire that gives warmth, and peace in the darkness.

Our Pentecost flags, painted with symbols of the Holy Spirit and new life, we will (when I sew them on their string) hang on the walls in the church. For the moment they are pinned to the edges of tablecloths that cover the tables in the church. We've decorated the church in red, our flags and Pentecost icon add touches of yellow and gold. It's warm, and life giving.

Pentecost Resource

I've been hunting for some ideas for Pentecost. A little note I read on Pentecost says, "the church is decorated with flowers to symbolise the joy of eternal spring which started when the Holy Spirit came."

That does sound lovely, and here at the onset of winter, thoughts of eternal spring are encouraging. However, it does make it a little hard to decorate the church with flowers, when there aren't that many around.

A quick internet search came up with some great ideas for symbolic kites and candles and luminstas and ballons and banners here.

I was thinking of making some lanterns or a string Pentecost flags. To make a lantern, draw or paint on a piece of paper. Paint the paper with linseed oil on both sides. Staple two edges of the paper together to make a tube. You can simply place this tube over a candle, or staple a cardboard base to the tube and attach a handle. Make sure the handle is fairly long otherwise the heat from the candle will make holding the lantern difficult.

The Pentecost flags I am envisaging would be squares of material painted with pentecost symbols or stories and then sewn onto a string.

We will be having a bit of a bonfire and listening to some world music. I'll give you an update and some pictures soon.

Ascension celebrations

Today standing in the lovely Autumn sunshine we blew bubbles as part of our Ascension celebrations.

Our church has a deck outside, and after church we all came to be there, standing in the sunshine, watching bubbles rise in the sky.

The kids made Ascension spirals after communion. I had some thin cardboard with the outline of a circle drawn on. The kids cut out the circle, and then cut a spiral out of the paper. It works best of the spiral is thick, only going around twice. Then we poked holes in the centre, threaded some wool through the hole, and tied it onto a stick.

When the kids ran up and down the decking with their ascension spirals, they spun round and round. How lovely to hear the sound of running, laughing children in that peaceful little space between worship and rushing to make lunch, made all the better by a sun warmed face.

If the spiral is made from a foil and hung over a candle, then the air warmed by the candle will rise and cause the spiral to spiral upwards.

We had a new family at church today. Their little 2 year old followed the big kids, sitting where they were sitting, standing when they were standing, holding a candle for the gospel reading. I never cease to be amazed how still a two year old can stand when given the big responsibility of holding a candle next to the priest for the gospel reading. They seem to have such a sense of awe, of ceremony and purpose. And I never cease to be amazed how an 11 year old can have such gentleness, patience and understanding given the big responsibility of having a two year old following his every move.

Now if only I can have the same sense of awe, purpose, gentleness, patience and understanding with three little ones watching my every move as they learn how to live.

From Fast to Feast

Our beautiful resurrection day service was held. The church is total darkness until the priest called out, "Christ is risen!" and held high a large candle. A candle in the darkness gives off a bright light. I was amazed at how much light. It is an image I hope I can remember when I am among people in dark places. We each lit our own candles from this candle. Throughout the service the priest shouts out, "Christ is Risen!" and we shout back, "Truly he is risen!" The kids loved it, and shouted with gusto. Still today they are calling it out to each other.

After the service, it was 1am by this stage, the feasting begun. My little one was jumping up and down with the excitment. The poor kiddies have been a bit hungry lately. There hasn't been much in the house to eat. I hope this too is an image forming in their minds. I can talk, talk, talk about hungering for God, about God fulfilling our needs. And now they have a physical experience to relate that to, of being hungry, of persevering and waiting, of the party and celebrating when we are with the risen Christ.

We had bacon and eggs and pancakes and coffee and hot cross buns for breakfast, and roast lamb and chocolate cake with double cream for dinner.

On the table sat the three Easter candles we had decorated the day before, our Easter eggs from our Easter egg hunt, our palm Sunday crosses, our Greek Easter bread from the kids Godfather, and on the window ledge the tall white candles he had given them, decorated with butterflies and a cross.

With every bite of chocolate I savoured I remembered, "I am feasting because Jesus is alive today."