An Old Discipline and Shepherd's Pie

The season of Let is upon us. Throughout High School I observed Lent fairly regularly. Once I went off to college however this practice fell by the wayside. Wanting to revisit this spiritual discipline in a God honoring way, I reread the chapter on fasting in Donald Whitney's Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. In his book, Whitney convincingly writes about practical ways to cultivate the habits that make up the life of a healthy Christian. The study of scripture, prayer, worship, evangelism, serving, stewardship, solitude, journaling, learning and fasting are expounded on while Whitney provides practicable steps for the reader to follow through on the disciplines he outlines. In this way, this book is not just another list of good ideas. (All italicized quotes that follow are from Whitney's book)

Let us put aside all legalistic expectations of this discipline and remember that we should habitually practice this discipline because we love the Lord...that's it. 

"Fasting can be an expression of finding your greatest pleasure and enjoyment in life from God. That's the case when disciplining yourself to fast means that you love God more than food, that seeking Him is more important to you than eating. This honors God and is a means of worshiping Him as God. It means that your stomach isn't your god as it is with some. Instead it is God's servant, and fasting proves it because you're willing to sublimate its desires to those of the Spirit."

Whats more, this discipline is coupled with other such disciplines, especially prayer, in the lives numerous examples in the Bible. Throughout scripture we see fasting in the lives of those who earnestly sought the Lord. Ezra and Esther fasted along with their companions to seek the protection of the Lord (Ezra 8, Esther 4:3). Nehemiah and Joel wrote about fasting as a companion to repentance (Joel 2:12, Nehemiah 9). In Acts we see the early church fasting alongside prayer and worshiping the Lord (Acts 13). Isaiah wrote the most about wrong types of fasting as well as what the opposite looks like (Isaiah 58). Christ does the same in Matthew 6. Long story short, we are not without many examples and guidelines concerning fasting. Why then do many in the church shy away from this discipline that is so highlighted in our sacred text?

Fasting is so much the opposite of everything we normally do that it is sometimes placed on a pedestal as one of the things that only the extremely devoted or fanatic Christians do. Just as the distinction made between those who serve in full-time ministry (pastors, missionaries, etc) and "everyday" Christians is wrong, this dichotomy is wrong as well. We do battle with the flesh in so many ways, it seems natural and obvious that we should strive to literally take control of our flesh through dedicating that very basic of instincts as eating to the Lord. (There are other things we can fast from but food is the most common) 

"Christians in a gluttonous, denial-less, self-indulgent society may struggle to accept and to begin the practice of fasting. Few disciplines go so radically against the flesh and the mainstream of culture as this one."

Why do we fast? Well why do we practice any spiritual discipline? Paul answers this in his first letter to his dear friend Timothy "Rather discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." (1 Tim 4:7b-8) Godliness, sanctification, becoming more like Christ...all these mean the same thing and all should be our basis for everything we do.

"Without a purpose, fasting can be a miserable, self-centered experience...Rightly practiced, however, it does make us more receptive to the One who loves to guide us."


Original recipe credit to Po'Man Meals blog http://www.pomanmeals.com/loaded-shepherds-pie/

What you'll need for
Mashed Potatoes:
5 Large Russet Potatoes, skinned and sliced
1 cup Milk
1/4 cup Butter
1/2 Cheddar Cheese

Meat filling:
8 slices of Bacon
1 1/2 lbs ground meat of your choice (I used ground Turkey)
1/2 Onion, chopped
3 cloves of Garlic, minced
1 cup Corn
1 cup Beef stock
3 Tbs Flour

Preheat your oven to 400 F. You'll need a 9x9 baking dish. The original recipe called for a 9x13 dish but I did not have enough meat to cover the bottom of this dish.

Start by boiling your potatoes. Place your sliced potatoes into a pot with just enough salted water to cover them and boil them on high for 15-20 minutes. Poke them with a fork to check them when you think they're ready. The fork prongs should easily slide through the potato slice.

Drain your potatoes and place them in a bowl or container large enough to mash them in along with the milk and butter (you can add the cheese now if you want or sprinkle it on top at the end). Using an electric mixer or a hand masher for those who need to work their arms, mash your potato mixture until you have the consistency you want. When it is as lumpy or as smooth as you like, set it aside.

Next, fry up your bacon slices in a high sided pan on Medium-High heat. You may want to chop up your bacon before you fry; otherwise you will have to crumble it by hand later. Do not throw out your bacon grease when the slices are done.

In your pan with the bacon grease, add your ground meat and brown. 

Once you have cooked all the salmonella out of your meat, add the garlic, onion and corn. Saute everything for a few minutes. Then add the stock and the flour to the pan. Drop your temperature to Medium or Medium-Low for a few minutes. You will see the sauce start to thicken and your mixture come together.

Pour your meat into the bottom of your baking dish. Artfully cover your meat with the mashed potatoes just as you might frost a cake. Top your potatoes with cheese and bacon. 

Bake for 30 minutes or until the top of the potatoes begins to brown.

Done! This dish is a throwback to my lovely days in Scotland but it's not just nostalgia that earns this recipe 5 stars. I deviated from the original recipe because of lack of supplies but I think the Loaded Shepherd's Pie would merit top marks in my book as well. Next time

(Just because the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond are so pretty)