D e s e r t E x p o s u r e
July
2008
Father Gabriel Rochelle
Page: 2Pointing out that Jesus, after all, had a human side as well as a divine side, Rochelle says of Orthodox believers, "We are okay with the human material realm." He adds with a big knowing smile, "We like things like vodka, sauerkraut and potatoes." And bread, of course.
Perhaps one reason Rochelle can speak so vividly of his Orthodox faith is that it's still fresh to him: He has not been an Orthodox priest that long. In fact, most of his religious work was as a Lutheran minister, something he did for over 20 years.
And the switch to Orthodoxy?
"I can go on for hours, but to be as concise as possible, I was attracted by two major aspects of Orthodoxy when I was in my twenties: its tactile or sensory approach to the faith — all the senses are involved in receiving the 'teachings,' a word which sounds more left-brained than I want — and, secondly, that it was an almost-perfect blending of a razor-sharp intellectual approach to faith, on one hand, and the contemplative, meditative and mystical side on the other.
"There are many other reasons," Rochelle adds, "but I think that's about as good as I can express the allure, the magnetism, that drew me. I find myself constantly wishing that people who are attracted to 'eastern religions' as a whole would come to the realization that Christianity has its own eastern slant in Orthodoxy."
Not that he puts down those with different views. "To deny other people their place at the table will not make you feel better, in the long run," Rochelle has written. "Denial merely papers over your insecurities. The social is the personal: you cannot escape your insecurities by putting down those whose positions make you uncomfortable."
Writing also has a spiritual side for Rochelle. "Writing with a sharp #2 pencil is a form of meditation for me as well," he says. "I am sure that was one of the aspects of the task that led me into calligraphy and illumination later in life."
He writes a twice-monthly column for the Sun-News, entitled "Paths of the Saints," and he is working on a revised edition of his bread book.
"It will be slightly different, using natural leavening, and will include sourdough," Rochelle says of the latter. "When you read it, I want you to learn how to make bread, and if I could publish it without recipes, I surely would."
Father Gabriel Rochelle's other passion is biking. He is fit and robust and has been riding bicycles seriously since the 1970s, now averaging about 100 miles a week, perhaps 13-14 miles per day. On his birthday, he "rides the number of miles I am old," he says.
Moving to New Mexico has expanded his bicycling season, but that's not the only advantage he sees here. He says, "Some of the people in my bicycling group say it is so boring here, but they just don't appreciate things like the blue sky."
Just before he pedals away, Father Gabe adds one last note about his other "calling": "I just enjoy my bread — bread as spirituality," he says, "and that makes me a priest of creation."
For more information about the Las Cruces Orthodox Mission, check the Web site at www.lascrucesorthodoxchristian.com or contact Father Gabriel Rochelle at gabrielcroch@aol.com Both of his books, published under the name Jay Cooper Rochelle, are available through Amazon.com or by ordering via local booksellers. He will also be conducting more bread-making classes at Mountain View Market, tentatively in September; sign up early, as previous classes have all filled quickly. 1300 El Paseo Rd # M, 523-0436, www.mountainviewmarket.com
Senior writer Jeff Berg is a self-confessed "bread-head" who lives
in Las Cruces: "By that, I mean I love the stuff, not that my head
is filled with dough."