Christian Eating Principles

My graduate school project is getting closer and closer to completion, and while researching I was struck by this set of principles offered by John Barclay and I felt compelled to share them with you. Perhaps consider theses are you prepare for Thanksgiving next week. 

Principles: “The first was that all food consumption must be done in orientation and thanksgiving to God; the second, that any food consumption must take into account the effects of that eating on others.”

What does this mean? 

“1. Although the Christian faith imposes no universal rule regarding which foods may or may not be eaten, food is not a non-issue for Christians, but is liable to raise a number of acute and serious questions concerning Christian obedience.

2. A critical question concerning food is whether it can be eaten in thanksgiving to God, whether its orientation is ‘to the Lord’. Good consumption is not a neutral issue for Christians, nor an ‘unspiritual’ matter beneath their moral radar, but as much a part of their Christ-orientation as every other dimension of life.

3. It is central to Christian discipleship to consider the effects of one’s practices on others, to look beyond one’s own legitimate rights and freedoms to see how others are affected. Even food – what we eat and how and where we eat it – can have serious knock-on effects on others, unintended, perhaps, and unexpected: but it is our responsibility to know those effects and to weigh them.

4. Food-taboos are not in principle un-Christian; abstention may be a necessary way of honoring the Lord. In particular, if food consumption causes harm to others, if it damages the weak or humiliates the poor, it is Christians’ responsibility to impose upon themselves a contextually relevant food taboo.”

So what is our Christian responsibility in the face of the impending and current environmental crisis? 

Barclay, J. G. (2010). Food, Christian identity and global warming: a Pauline call for a Christian food taboo. Expository Times, 121(12), 585-593. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Green Holy Communion

How to "Green" Your Church's Eucharist, or Holy Communion 

1. Source the elements of Holy Communion locally if at all possible.
• Is there a local and independently owned bakery to purchase loaves of bread?
• Is there locally grown or milled flour to bake with?
• Is there a local winery?
• Do any members of the congregation farm or produce flour or wine?
• Are there organic options available?
2. Establish a church garden in which to grow the necessary ingredients for communion.
• Call upon congregation members with green thumbs to help out.
• Obviously this will vary depending on local climate and seasons. 
3. Use washable cups for individual portions of wine/grape juice, or practice intinction.
• For those who do not wish to drink from the common cup, using small washable glasses reduces waste tremendously. 
• If this is not feasible, use recyclable cups instead.  
• Practicing intinction (the dipping of the bread into the cup) eliminates the need for either.
4. Dedicate a specific prayer for Creation during the Prayers of the Church.
• Thank God for the bounty of Creation that provides us with bread and wine so that we can partake in this sacrament.
5. Encourage and include moments of silence to reflect upon our relationship to the earth and our relationship to food.
• Reflection can help to foster care for the earth and all its inhabitants.   
6. Practice open communion.
• By inviting all to the table, Christian communities embrace the diversity of all people and all of God’s creation, including the earth.  

From Galbraith, K. L.(2009). Broken Bodies of God: The Christian Eucharist as a Locus for EcologicalReflection. Worldviews: Environment Culture Religion, 13(3), 283-304.

Holden Village

I'm back!!! I got home late last night from a wonderful week at Holden Village near Lake Chelan, where I did a training in CPR and Wilderness First Aid for their staff - just another one of my many hobbies. It was a great way to spend my spring break - though the village just hit over 300 inches of snow for the year while we were there! It was anything but spring!

Holden Village is a year-round Lutheran ecumenical retreat center deep in the Cascade Mountains and offers a place for peace, rest and renewal. Without phone service, internet or television, and transportation coming in and out the village only 3 days a week in the winter (you cannot drive there, you either take the boat and then the Holden buses or you hike in) ... it is as remote as it can get. 

Holden Village is a very special place to Ross and me; this is a picture of our first trip to Holden in February of 2010. Holden is many things - but first and foremost it is a worshiping community. Vespers (evening worship) is held every night at 7 and is the one activity during the day that every member of the community comes together. That usually happens at meals too, and the food is FANTASTIC, though it is not required.

In the dining hall 

 If you've been reading my posts for a while, you know that I like to use the cookbook the village printed - Lavish Simplicity. 

Someone once told me that if you ever wanted to see fully realized Christian environmental stewardship, you must go to Holden Village. When people ask me what Holden Village is, I tend to say that it is a Lutheran hippie commune. As it is a remote community, there is no public waste service. All waste is meticulously sorted and is under the supervision of the village Garbologist. Waste is separated into landfill, burn, recycle, and compost, and every village staff member helps sort waste once a week as part of their commitment to the community. 

And consider power - the Village produces nearly all of its power from a single hydroelectric plant on Railroad Creek; essentially, the village power is free, granted there is the cost of maintenance. If the creek is flowing low, as it does in the winter, all village members do their part to conserve energy; dryers are turned off, lights are turned off, computers shut down, and no one uses a hair dryer either. 

The simple lodging with handmade quilts in each room, with mints on our pillows. (That was amazing - but unfortunately only an option if you bring an awesome friend who places them on your pillow every day. Thanks Hayley!)

The famous Holden school buses. 

Waiting on the dock for the Lady of the Lake. 

Enjoying the views.

And since I love food... and bread... I present a photo essay of (a very small minute amount) of what the village cooks bake every day, from scratch. 

Peace!