Friday after Ash Wednesday – Feb. 19, 2010
Matthew 9:14 – 15
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.”
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 to you 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 some pinball that bounced randomly from place to place and then finally happened to hit the right bell. We must set our intention on God. Spiritual practices often 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) for a spiritual goal. There are many different ways to fast.
In the spiritual life, however, the question is not about whether we should engage in spiritual practices or not. The answer to that question is a resounding, “Yes.” The question, rather, is, “Which practices?” and, “What practices should I undertake now?”
It would be easy enough for a spiritual guide 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 different, though. Each of us live in different life-rhythms. We are uniquely created persons, with personalities and qualities that connect us to God, others, and the world in non-repeatable ways.
So we must each choose our spiritual practice 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 to the springtime of my soul, others for the summer, others for autumn, and still others for winter.
So 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 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 recognizes that we each live in different places, that the seasons of our souls change, and that what may be a helpful spiritual practice 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.
So 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.
As we move into Lent, to what spiritual practices might God invite you? What is appropriate to this current season of your life? What practice(s) might sustain you through these days? What will help you connect more deeply with God?
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.”
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 to you 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 some pinball that bounced randomly from place to place and then finally happened to hit the right bell. We must set our intention on God. Spiritual practices often 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) for a spiritual goal. There are many different ways to fast.
In the spiritual life, however, the question is not about whether we should engage in spiritual practices or not. The answer to that question is a resounding, “Yes.” The question, rather, is, “Which practices?” and, “What practices should I undertake now?”
It would be easy enough for a spiritual guide 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 different, though. Each of us live in different life-rhythms. We are uniquely created persons, with personalities and qualities that connect us to God, others, and the world in non-repeatable ways.
So we must each choose our spiritual practice 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 to the springtime of my soul, others for the summer, others for autumn, and still others for winter.
So 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 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 recognizes that we each live in different places, that the seasons of our souls change, and that what may be a helpful spiritual practice 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.
So 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.
As we move into Lent, to what spiritual practices might God invite you? What is appropriate to this current season of your life? What practice(s) might sustain you through these days? What will help you connect more deeply with God?
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