Chris Howlett

Pasta, Forgiveness, and Second Chances

“I believe in the forgiveness of sins and the redemption of ignorance.” – Adlai E. Stevenson

Three American college students studying in Italy decided to do their own cooking one day. They purchased pasta from the local market, took it home, and commenced cooking. I’m not sure how long the young women had been in Italy, but it couldn’t have been long because they'd obviously never witnessed the proper pasta process. In their attempt at culinary excellence, they prepared the pasta sans water.

A fire ensued and spread, damaging the kitchen before being dowsed. The Italian newspaper, La Nazione, published a story about the students’ misadventure and, of course, most of the online comments were of the negative variety.

However, the story attracted the attention of restauranteur Fabio Picchi, who offered the students a four-hour cooking lesson that concluded with lunch with his chefs at his restaurant in Florence.

Aren’t you glad your most embarrassing foibles weren’t published in the paper? Even if they were, we can look to redemption through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who loves us even when others find us repulsive. Jesus is always ready to take us by the hand and show us a better way.

What Are You Giving Up for Lent?

I’m giving up meat for Lent. Oh, wait a second, I haven’t eaten any meat since October of last year. Yes, I even remember the meat I enjoyed: a 16 oz. ribeye steak from Texas Roadhouse. Mmmmmmm.

So, what’s up with giving up stuff for Lent, anyway? I mean, I hear people talking about giving up chocolate or other such things. Where did this practice originate and is it useful for spiritual formation today?

The first question is easier to answer. Lent was historically a time of penance and spiritual preparation for baptism, then it spread from catechumens to the whole church. So, people would spend more time and effort on repenting of their sins and doing actual penance, which is a way, not of paying for your sins, but demonstrating your true sorrow and desire to do better in the future. Penance took the shape of fasting. General fasting and specific fasting were practiced. General fasting is when you abstain from all food for a time period. Specific fasting is abstaining from specific foods for a time, such as meat and other desirable foods.

After the Reformation the practice of self-denial and penance came into question because it was basically misunderstood as “paying” for your sins. If you believe that Jesus’ sacrifice is sufficient then there is no need to pay for your sins, they’ve already been forgiven. So, we left off penance. However, as Lent became more and more re-recognized in Protestant churches, people wanted to practice some form of penance, even if they didn’t call it that. Giving something up for Lent came back into fashion.

So, is it useful? That depends. 

It depends on motive. Am I practicing self-denial because that’s what is expected? Or, am I truly sorry for my sins and destructive ways of being and desire to do better in the future?

I think we would be well served if we not only determined to stop doing sinful things but determined to begin replacing destructive actions, attitudes, and habits with morally good things. That’s what the message series at Christ Church is about that begins this Sunday, “The Good Life.” Not only does God want us to stop sinful things, he wants us to do good. So, this Lent, repent and believe the Good News and start living the Good News and you can experience the life God designed, the Good Life! See you Sunday and bring a friend!