A Parable of Change Via Fusion Cuisine (and Pizza)

             I am not opposed to Fusion Cuisine (the bringing together of flavors of different cooking traditions or styles) but neither am I what one might call a “devotee”.  At the risk of appearing a snob, Fusion that is especially underwhelming brings with it the appearance of Confusion Cuisine (I suppose, re-reading that, there is no risk of appearing like a snob; I have fully embraced the Snob). 

I do not entirely reject Fusion Cuisine.  At the risk of losing my readers (who is the snob now?), I confess that I actually like pineapple and ham on a pizza.  It has a summer vibe.

            And, having moved to South Jersey, in the local environs of Philadelphia, I have begun to penetrate the fog of Confusion that is…Cheesesteak Pizza.  Still not in the Kitchen of my flavor preferences, but I am moving from the Confusion to the Fusion.  Sorry, cannot promise more at this point.

So, Fusion Cuisine and Confusion Cuisine, but also there is something further out in the fog of foodie-ism, the Thoroughly Confusing Cuisine.  In this instance, it is the “fusing”, no, the mash-up of Pizza and General Tso’s Chicken.  Let me be clear, Pizza is a primary go-to for my family when it comes to Italian takeout.  General Tso’s Chicken is my personal Chinese takeout preference-especially with the spiced broccoli, but…General Tso’s Chicken Pizza.  No.  Well…No.  I do not even know how one actually cooks the component elements in the same kitchen. 

Don’t get it, I just don’t.  Not even going to give it a chance.  No, nope, nuh uh.  This mashup is not Confusion Cuisine but a clear example of Thoroughly Confusing Cuisine.  It is a shock to my culinary sensibilities.  There are culinary traditions that are sacrosanct and to be preserved of both the Chinese Restaurant and the Italian Restaurant.

I was in the midst of adding this being “an affront” as well as a shock to my culinary sensibilities when a little voice went off in my head, replaying a moment when I confessed appreciation of ham and pineapple pizza.  It goes something like, “just because you don’t like it…”  Which triggered another internal reaction, continuing morality work on my part to identify when I don’t like something and when that is confused with when I won’t like something. 

While I might never be accused of being a sensitive, New Age guy, I certainly DO NOT want to be a knuckle-walking socio-Cro-Magnon throwback, grunting “me no like” as though I were pronouncing eternal damnation on General Tso’s Chicken Pizza.  Rule of life and love, it is okay not to like things, it is unloving to demand others not like them too. 

For example, Poutine, the sub-national Provincial artery hardening, heart clogging, deliciously joyful Dish, a combination of French fries (Quebec, thus French…ish?  But NOT Freedom fries) and gravy and cheese curds.  YES, curds of cheese!!  Sacrosanct…well, till one sins.

And if one is going to sin, one ought to sin boldly.  So, brisket in the poutine…  Wow…  Now, its not a mashup like that other one mentioned above  (it is emotionally painful to type).  There is Canadian commonality.  Poutine from Quebec, beef from the Prairies…Canadian, divided by language, but there is hope…  And its more of an add-on than a mashup.  There is the additional commonality of gravy… (To be completely honest, this is a very clear example of the process called ‘rationalization’, coming up with reasons why something is right).

And Canada, like our United States, has fusion built into the very melting pot of multiculturalism that makes us great.

So…add-ons work.  A swap can work as well.  Because of an extended period of my life with a diet that involved too much poutine and poutine adjacent choices and too much brisket and red meat in general, I now cook in the realm of the Mediterranean diet to counteract those other life and culinary choices.  Doing so now means I can still enjoy the Poutine lifestyle, selectively and in moderation.

Back to add-ons…  I was working up a recipe of a Mediterranean inspired bean salad, one that calls for balsamic vinegar to provide a sweet tang to the process.  It was in this process that I came upon two levels of self-awareness that I was not previously conscious of.  The first is that I have flavor preferences in regards to vinegar (Yes, I am as surprised as you are!).  The second is that I have enough taste-knowledge to successfully introduce rice vinegar as a swap in the recipe that made it so much better.  It tasted better, and I am not sure I have ever described it this way, it was a refreshing bean salad.

You may have noticed that this began as a rant, maybe even a ‘tear’ (as in tearing paper in half, not a crying jag; oh I love English).  I have many of those, amusing in my own mind.  They usually run their course and I move on.  But notice that this is in the Church blog of a pastor.  Somewhere along the way, the still small voice of the Holy Spirit, whose coming we celebrated this past Pentecost Sunday, God be praised for the gift of the Holy Spirit, this still, small voice whispered at me.

With a very, very daring offer.  "Pastor", said the still, small voice, "Maybe this is not a rant about food so much as a (…and I have never thought of my writing in this way…) a parable in the “Jesus-style”."

A parable in the Jesus-style is one that takes common themes of the popular and generally understood culture to make a greater point of faith and love. It DOES NOT presume some particular insight into the wisdom and love of Jesus Christ beyond that of a faithful human.

For this ‘parable’, use what I know and love, what our culture knows, food choices and takeout options, consider these in the life of where the church is.  Because we know our church has to change.  Not Jesus, because Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever, but the ways we’ve shared His message, those ways are always open to new possibilities.  So…mash things up?  

The Industry exists.  Its called the Church Growth Industry, a whole economic culture of books and programs and mentors and consultants and ‘proven ways’ and ‘guaranteed results’ that are advertised in ways that are practically indistinguishable from how the rest of the capitalist economy advertises things to sell, improve, change, and perfect us.  These will outline ingredients and recipes and formulas and what to do and what not to do.  There is a near infinite diversity in infinite combination of ‘what works’ today to make the church grow.

 It feels like the soft drink industry.  Gotta have the right recipe (Coke learned that the hard way) to sell that sugary, caffeinated tooth-rotting stuff.  Get the right formula, and you too can have a tasty church…

And these Church Growth strategies are so often mash-ups of what has come before.  Fusion Theology, well, more Confusion Theology, even Thoroughly Confused Theology, like jamming together General Tso’s Chicken and Pizza.  Trash tradition and start again…

Then there is our beloved First Presbyterian Church of Merchantville.  We have not adopted a ‘proven Church Growth’ strategy.  We have not mashed up that which we do into something else.  Here is a specific example.  We’ve done one very deliberate add-on, that of our Family Service on Third Sundays.  We’ve swapped some ingredients, changing the sermon style and presentation for a younger audience.  But it is still recognizable as worship, a tastier worship in my opinion. 

We did not just take a couple of completely distinct traditions and jam them together and call it pizza…er…worship. 

And who knows, maybe along the way we will make choices that will trigger a response of “I don’t get it.”  One of the great blessings of this congregation is your openness to things of the faith.  I see such a reaction as “I don’t get it, but I will seek to understand what went into the decision, what makes it work, potentially.”  There is the risk of love in that reaction.  And it is not “I won’t get it, because I ‘know’ this is how it ought (or ought not) to be done”.

This is the Pentecost thing again.  God indwells us as the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit does not simply speak ‘authoritatively’ through one of us (CERTAINLY not the minister), but speaks lovingly through all of us.  There’s a Pizza that God wants us to be.  There is a Church that God wants us to be.  We are in an amazing church for our congregation right now.  Imagine how God will make this an amazing church for everyone?

            Yes, this from the Pastor who owns his enjoyment of pineapple and ham on pizza.  And poutine with brisket (OMG that was so good!).  Despite that, in John 1, Philip invites Nathanael to “Come and see” Jesus.  So...Come and eat, here in this Church of Jesus.  
  
 Pastor Pete