Lent with Rev. Alicia: Week 2
Hey hey! Welcome to The Joy Era! Let’s dive in:
In case you missed it, I made a playlist for Ash Wednesday with themes from the liturgy: moments of confession and repentance, as well as an assurance of forgiveness, and reminders of our death and mortality, as well as signs of new creation. I think this playlist works for the whole season! And here’s another longer playlist from a few years ago that I still really love.
During this season, I’ll be sharing some Lenten practices and reflections that highlight the intersection between food and faith with the hopes of practicing JOY together during this season (download the whole pdf here).
Also, I’ll be sharing some backlist podcast episodes from the podcast I cohost with my friend Rev. Megan Pardue (That’ll Preach!) that highlight some readings of Lenten scriptures through the lens of eco-theology and food justice. Here’s our episode for the first week of Lent.
Finally, in addition to sharing some reflections here with all y’all, this Lenten season I will be co-leading a Zoom prayer + discussion group with my good friends Rev. Aaron Bolerjack and Rev. Brandon Kirkpatrick using Kate Bowler’s thoughtful, gentle guide "Bless the Lent We Actually Have: 40 Days to Reflect, Pray, and Bless our Broken Lives." (here’s a link to her lovely prayer book, The Lives We Actually Have: 100 Blessings for Imperfect Days)
If you’re interested in joining us, especially if you might not have a faith community in your life right now, we would love to have you! We’ll meet on Wednesday nights beginning February 21 at 4:30 pm Pacific/ 6:30 pm Central/ 7:30 pm Eastern as we pray, read, think, lament, and bless each other as a community.
To sign up, please email Brandon at: kirkpatrickbrandon45@gmail.com. There's no cost, and absolutely *anyone* is welcome to participate fully as themselves
I invite you to join me in:
Reading: Psalm 146 and “Wild Geese” by Mary Oliver
Watching: Chef’s Table s6, e3: Asma Khan
This episode is beautiful and homey, full of warmth and laughter and a true spirit of hospitality. A passionate chef, a kitchen staffed entirely by amazing immigrant women, and a dining room full of joyful guests– perfect! Asma discusses founding a charity that throws an extravagant party at the birth of second-daughters (who might be seen as an unwanted burden by their families). Asma remembers that her mother cried at her birth because she was a second daughter. Her fiercely joyful affirmation of her own identity is such a beautiful story. I literally wept! A favorite quote: “The guest is the incarnation of God… I want people to feel as if they’ve just been embraced. That’s what food is for. To light up someone’s soul with something you’ve prepared, that’s a joy and an honor.” This is exactly how I feel every time I have people in my home for dinner or every time I share a dish at a potluck– what a genuine joy to feed people.
One of the things I love about this story is the way that Asma talks about pursuing her joyful vocation alongside her family and loved ones. She understands that her true joy can never come at the expense of others– nor can the comfort or plans of others prevent her from doing the work she knows she must do. She had to find a way to make it work, and she did! As we pursue our own joy and freedom, we must also remember that the joy and freedom we seek for ourselves is inextricably bound up in the joy and freedom of others. No one is free until we all are free.
Cooking: We could try Asma’s chicken biryani! Or, if we want to stick to vegetarian menus, we can try her sada pulao (Bengali pulao with cashews and raisins), or her gobi tamatar (a vibrant cauliflower dish saturated with tomato and chili). Also, here’s a great vegetarian biryani recipe (from NYT Cooking).
Check out Asma’s cookbooks: Ammu: Indian Home Cooking to Nourish Your Soul and Asma's Indian Kitchen: Home-Cooked Food Brought to You by Darjeeling Express
That’s all for now! Thanks for tuning in!
If you’re considering observing Lent, I’d love to hear what practices you’re incorporating into your life. And if this content has been joyful and helpful for you, I would love for you to share it with others, and maybe consider buying me a coffee to support my work.
With grace, peace, and much love,
Rev. Alicia