Camping

We went camping in the Great Australian Bush with a young family from church and friends of friends of friends who realised they'd met at some other place once before.
It was fabulous to be outside, to let the kids get dirty, to challenge ourselves with climbing a mountain (we didn't quite make it to the top, despite the stories of the little red engine), to get to know people, to share food and recipes.
I think it's good for our kids to live with other people, even if just for a few days. They dragged others into games of cricket, helped people light fires, dragged people off to see the island in the stream and it's secret entrance, and continued on with their less-than-perfect behaviour that makes them kids, and us the parent's whose job it is to teach them.
I think it takes a certain amount of letting go on our part to just let the kids work out for themselves how to relate to people, how to behave, how to solve conflicts and ask for help. Camping is a great time for this. As parents we're busy talking to people and preparing food, and the kids are free in a wide open space where they can feel they're off by themselves doing whatever they want, like back in the good ole days when kids had to be back home by dinner time.

On Sunday morning we made damper. We built the fire in that quiet time of morning before people are really awake, made the mixture while the kids hovered around watching, and others woke up and had pancakes for breakfast. The kids ground the coffee beans we'd roasted for hours the night before.

We set up the icons in a quiet corner of the camp ground, right at the bottom of the slope of the mountain. We planned our little service as the damper cooked in the coals of the fire and everybody else quietly glanced over every now and then. Our poor old priest (that's just a saying btw) was sick and unable to serve at a liturgy. So we chanted some hymns, and read from Ascending the Heights. Then we asked God to bless our food and shared the damper we had made.

It was a great time to get away from it all, to live simply if just for a weekend. We'd love to do it at the start of every lent and maybe advent too. It was a fabulous way to share with our friends.

Lent's started already?

Lent has started and I feel totally unprepared. I payed no attention to the signposts the church gives, Meatfare Sunday, the time to give up meat, Sunday of the prodigal son, always told as lent approaches.

I haven't been shopping for a while, so I've run out and got a chicken one night, and cocktail frankfurts the next. Frankfurts of all things! I don't think I've ever bought those little red-skinned-filled-with-who-knows-what hot dogs in my whole life, and now I buy them at the start of lent, when I'm wanting to give up meat.

The kids loved them. They set the table with candles and wine glasses and flowers and matching plates. Then I served them up baked potato, corn and mini bread rolls with mini hot dogs. They thought it was great. I did mean to ask the kids what they wanted to do for lent. I got as far as, "well kids, tonight is the first night of lent," and then who knows what happened. Hopefully soon we'll have our little list of customised spiritual disciplines for each child up on the fridge.

We have been reading evening prayers together. It's something I would like to continue each night of lent. Last night all the kids hopped into bed together and by the pale purple light of an electric candle left over from carols by candlelight, I read the prayers. "Yay! These prayers." said my middle one. The kids joined in where ever they could. I was quite surprised at how much they knew.

There's a fascinating article on wikipedia about fasting. It lists the goal of fasting for different Christian denominations, and in my experience seems to be correct. The little summary about fasting in the Orthodox church reminds me of what is most important to remember during fasting;

The idea is not to suffer, but to use the experience to come closer to God, to realize one's excesses, and to engage in almsgiving. Fasting without increased prayer and almsgiving (donating to a lo Tcal charity, or directly to the poor, depending on circumstances) is considered useless or even spiritually harmful by many Orthodox Christians.

as does this from Saint John "the golden mouthed" Chrysostom

Do you fast? Give me proof of it by your works.
If you see a poor man, take pity on him.
If you see a friend being honoured, do not envy him.
Do not let only your mouth fast, but also the eye and the ear and the feet and the hands and all the members of our bodies.
Let the hands fast, by being free of avarice.
Let the feet fast, by ceasing to run after sin.
Let the eyes fast, by disciplining them not to glare at that which is sinful.
Let the ear fast, by not listening to evil talk and gossip.
Let the mouth fast from foul words and unjust criticism.
For what good is it if we abstain from birds and fishes, but bite and devour our brothers?
May He who came to the world to save sinners strengthen us to complete the fast with
humility, have mercy on us and save us.

and this, paraphrased for me, from the story of the prodigal or wayward son.

But while she was still a long way off, her father in heaven saw her and felt compassion and ran and embraced and kissed her.