Food-for-Thought: Florida Evans' Punchbowl

One thing I love every year is our time of corporate fasting at church, which ususally occurs every January.

For me, it sets the tone for my year. I spend more time reading and thinking. I take it as an opportunity to journal and pray about my year.

But we didn't do that this year.

The church fast was moved up a tad.

I learned this while perusing my church website. I saw an announcement there.

The church fast was moved up. It was still for a month, but it started up the day after Thanksgiving, and ended on Christmas Eve.

I almost caught a crook in my neck when I saw that.

I immediately picked up the phone and called my BFF LadyTee.

"Yo girl, uh, where did this fast come from?"
"Oh yeah," she said, her voice flat. "Pastor's wife announce that on Sunday."
"Why?" I asked.
"I don't know. And girl, you know I ain't doing it."

No, LadyTee don't fool with the fasts. She's a thin chick, and she look like she be smoking, like a straight junkie afterwards.

"Well, I ain't gonna even lie to myself," I said. "I ain't doing jack. It's the holiday season, man. Bump that. He can hang that up."

Our fasts aren't usually that hard. They are vegetarian fasts. One year, it was only one meal a day, and to spend ample time reading your bible. Another year, there was twice a day preaching. (That was GREAT. Got a chance to hear some of the Elder mothers of the church say a few things!).

Overall, in my nine years of membership it has been a wonderfully enriching experience.

But not this time.

"Man, he can foggetaboutit!" I hollered to LadyTee several times over that week prior to the fast.

Contrary to popular belief, ain't nobody forced to do a fast.

Come on, now... These are black folk. And you know how we are.

But why did this fast bother me so much? I mean, I am already transitioning to vegetarian. And for me it would have meant just streamlining down to a better veggie diet or somethiing like that. Not a problem. I could do that for 30 days.

But something was different. This fast included a media fast.

No TV.
No computer (only work related allowed).
No going to the movies.

WHAT THE WORLD?

"Girl, they tripping!" I yelled to LadyTee whenever we talked on the phone.

AIN'T. No. WAY.

I mean, come on. Can you imagine??? No TV? No movies?

No computer? No blogging?

No Twitter or Facebook?

*Lee passes out on the hard concrete*

CAN YOU IMAGINE?

OH LAWD!

THE HORROR.

'Tis a tad bit unnerving. Just a tad.

Now, don't look at me in that tone of voice. I know I couldn't fool with that. YOU know you wouldn't be down with that. That is something that you would basically have to put a gun to my head to do, or offer me a SUBSTANTIAL amount of money to do.

"Lord," I prayed often,"I ain't gonna even lie to myself. It ain't even going down. This the holiday season. NO WAY."

And this was cool. Nothing's mandatory. Whatever.

I am a TV junkie. That is MY time. I got MY shows! I love movies. Give me some Lifetime Television for women and a good crochet project and I'm GOOD. I love watching sports. And that is football time, man! UGH.

(Me, me, My... I, my... notice a pattern here?)

So...

I was cool. Happy with my decision.

Now, I'd taken off on that Wednesday and Friday of Thanksgiving. That meant a 5 day weekend for me when you include Thanksgiving day. An Oldgirl was feeling GOOD. I'd come up with a couple of new recipes I wanted to try for Thanksgiving, and there was a good Law and Order marathon coming on, and I was gonna enjoy the day!

Our Thanksgiving service is the Wednesday evening before Thanksgiving. This is cool, because it's a bible study night. And I just love it, because it is always about remembering that, no matter how you're feeling about life, always remember to maintain an attitude of Thanksgiving.

That's a good message. I like that!

So I'd had the day off and decided to cap it off with a nice Thanksgiving service. I walked into church, all smiles. I'd had a great day, and this was gonna be good.

Now, my church is huge, and I like a end seat. That means I can dip quicker. Bible study nights aren't as crowded. Maybe 3000 people. Sounds like a lot, but it isn't. I sat in the middle of row this time.

I enjoyed the praise sangers. They sang some of my favorite songs!

But...

My pastor came out and said something interesting...

He wanted to talk about some subject matter that is difficult to talk about...

And why many of us couldn't do this fast that was starting the day after Thanksgiving.

The emphasis of the sermon that night was to be in the area of Strongholds.

UGHH.

I screamed inside. I didn't need to holler what I was thinking.

Let's just say I needed Florida Evans' punchbowl.

I cannot STAND the subject of strongholds.

But that sermon that night... It was presented in a manner that made much sense...

It explained the "why" behind the mystery of Strongholds.

And there hasn't been a day that has gone by since then that I haven't thought about it.

And for that, I am thankful...

To be continued...