Fasting
Friday after Ash Wednesday
Daily Reading: Matthew 9:14 – 15
Focus Passage:
Then John's disciples came and asked him, "How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?"
Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.” (Matt. 9:14 – 15)
Don’t get lost in over-analysis of the passage. For a moment, simply hear Jesus say, “There is a time to fast and a time not to fast.” Let me explain why I think these words are important.
Spiritual practices help us sustain a spiritual life. We do not come into a deep and life-giving connection to God by accident, as if we were a pinball that bounced randomly from place to place, and finally happened to hit the right bell. We set our intention on God. Spiritual practices are part of that intentional life.
Fasting is a cornerstone spiritual practice. It involves saying “no” to something that is a normal part of life in order to pursue a spiritual end. Fasting, therefore, may mean not eating for a given period of time, or giving up a particular kind of food for a season. It may mean giving up conversation (silence) or company (solitude) as a spiritual discipline. There are many different ways to fast.
In the spiritual life, however, the question is not, “Should I engage in spiritual practices?” The answer to that question is a resounding, “Yes.” Rather, the question is, “Which practices will help me be most attentive to God?” and, “What disciplines are appropriate for this season of my life?”
It would be easy enough for a spiritual mentor to prescribe a list of spiritual practices and encourage you to keep the list. Such prescriptions assume that spirituality is a one-size-fits-all endeavor. They assume that what is good for one is good for all.
Our lives are unique, though. Each of us live in different life-rhythms. We are created with one-of-a-kind personalities and qualities that connect us to God, others, and the world in non-repeatable ways.
So we must each choose our spiritual practices according to what is appropriate for that period of our lives. I typically think of the seasons of my soul. There are spiritual practices that are appropriate for the springtime of my soul, others for the summer, others for autumn, and still others for winter.
Thus, periodically I have to step back, take an honest evaluation of where I am, and then determine which spiritual practices might help me best connect to God in that particular season. Further, in grace, I have to allow others the freedom to be where they are with God and to pursue God through spiritual practices in a way that is appropriate to their life-situations.
Jesus recognized that we each live in different places, that the seasons of our souls change, and that what may be helpful for one person at one point in time may not be that beneficial to another person at that time. Fasting may be appropriate today and not so helpful tomorrow.
Thus, we learn to listen to our own lives. And we learn to listen as the Spirit of God prompts us toward the path of a more conscious connection with God.
For Reflection:
What season is this in your life? The question is not suggesting you are in springtime, simply because it is March . . . nor does the question suggest you are in a season of penitence simply because this is the season of Lent.
Rather, what does your life feel like right now? Is it fresh, new, and fluorescent like spring? Do you feel withered and cold like winter, with no growth above the ground but with deepening root beneath the surface?
After you have addressed the season of your life, think about spiritual practices that are appropriate to your current season of life. (Just because a practice has been meaningful in the past does not mean it will be appropriate for this current season.) Remember, less is more. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Take on a practice or two that are helpful for this time of your life, helping you to connect more deeply to God.
Daily Reading: Matthew 9:14 – 15
Focus Passage:
Then John's disciples came and asked him, "How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?"
Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.” (Matt. 9:14 – 15)
Don’t get lost in over-analysis of the passage. For a moment, simply hear Jesus say, “There is a time to fast and a time not to fast.” Let me explain why I think these words are important.
Spiritual practices help us sustain a spiritual life. We do not come into a deep and life-giving connection to God by accident, as if we were a pinball that bounced randomly from place to place, and finally happened to hit the right bell. We set our intention on God. Spiritual practices are part of that intentional life.
Fasting is a cornerstone spiritual practice. It involves saying “no” to something that is a normal part of life in order to pursue a spiritual end. Fasting, therefore, may mean not eating for a given period of time, or giving up a particular kind of food for a season. It may mean giving up conversation (silence) or company (solitude) as a spiritual discipline. There are many different ways to fast.
In the spiritual life, however, the question is not, “Should I engage in spiritual practices?” The answer to that question is a resounding, “Yes.” Rather, the question is, “Which practices will help me be most attentive to God?” and, “What disciplines are appropriate for this season of my life?”
It would be easy enough for a spiritual mentor to prescribe a list of spiritual practices and encourage you to keep the list. Such prescriptions assume that spirituality is a one-size-fits-all endeavor. They assume that what is good for one is good for all.
Our lives are unique, though. Each of us live in different life-rhythms. We are created with one-of-a-kind personalities and qualities that connect us to God, others, and the world in non-repeatable ways.
So we must each choose our spiritual practices according to what is appropriate for that period of our lives. I typically think of the seasons of my soul. There are spiritual practices that are appropriate for the springtime of my soul, others for the summer, others for autumn, and still others for winter.
Thus, periodically I have to step back, take an honest evaluation of where I am, and then determine which spiritual practices might help me best connect to God in that particular season. Further, in grace, I have to allow others the freedom to be where they are with God and to pursue God through spiritual practices in a way that is appropriate to their life-situations.
Jesus recognized that we each live in different places, that the seasons of our souls change, and that what may be helpful for one person at one point in time may not be that beneficial to another person at that time. Fasting may be appropriate today and not so helpful tomorrow.
Thus, we learn to listen to our own lives. And we learn to listen as the Spirit of God prompts us toward the path of a more conscious connection with God.
For Reflection:
What season is this in your life? The question is not suggesting you are in springtime, simply because it is March . . . nor does the question suggest you are in a season of penitence simply because this is the season of Lent.
Rather, what does your life feel like right now? Is it fresh, new, and fluorescent like spring? Do you feel withered and cold like winter, with no growth above the ground but with deepening root beneath the surface?
After you have addressed the season of your life, think about spiritual practices that are appropriate to your current season of life. (Just because a practice has been meaningful in the past does not mean it will be appropriate for this current season.) Remember, less is more. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Take on a practice or two that are helpful for this time of your life, helping you to connect more deeply to God.
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