Growing with God 2013 The Spiritual Disciplines - Fasting

The ‘Growing with God’ schedule  January PrayerA vital way to start the year  FebruaryConfessionAsh Wednesday falls on Feb 13  MarchFastingLent includes almost all of March  AprilCelebrationThe joyous Easter season  MayWorship May includes Pentecost  JuneStudyCoinciding with the end of school  JulyGuidanceSummer quiet for listening to God  AugustMeditationKicking back and tuning in to God  September ServiceThe start of a new church year  OctoberSimplicityStewardship time  NovemberSubmissionCreation begins its annual death  DecemberSolitudeAdvent waiting for the Kingdom

Two kinds of Spiritual Discipline  The Disciplines of Abstinence simplicity, solitude, submission, fasting. Especially helpful for activists.  The Disciplines of Engagement Prayer, confession, celebration, worship, study, guidance, meditation, service. Especially helpful for contemplatives.

Look who’s talking  “Jesus’ teaching on fasting is directly in the context of his teaching on giving and praying. There is an assumption that giving, praying, and fasting are all part of Christian devotion. We have no more reason to exclude fasting from his teaching than we do giving or praying.” Richard Foster 1978  “I would define fasting as abstaining from anything that fills the space inside us that God longs to occupy. Any idols can be fodder for fasting: TV, , food. The heart of a fast is stepping back from life as it is and conceiving of life as it could be.” Heather Webb (?)

“It's all about purification. My everyday materialness is shed and my vision becomes more fixed on what is important and true in my life.”Rainn Wilson “When you fast, do not look somber.” Jesus, Matthew 6:16 “While they (the apostles) were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said … Acts 13:2 “Paul and Barnabas appointed elders in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord.” Acts 14:23

What is Fasting?  The self-denial of normal necessities to attend to God in prayer.  Something every Jewish person, including Jesus, did regularly.  Not necessarily refraining from eating: - “Fasting is an opportunity to lay down an appetite – for food, media, shopping etc. This act of self- denial may not seem huge, but it brings us face to face with the hunger at the core of our being.”

Dangers of fasting  Thinking it is dangerous or unhealthy  Eating disorders  Pharisaism  Legalism  Thinking it will twist God’s arm  Doing it to lose weight  Talking yourself into failure  Starting out too ambitiously  Never getting to the place of pain

So, why do it?  We become more aware of our own humanity and our inadequacies.  It shows how dependent we are on small comforts.  It changes things in the spiritual realm  It helps us keep nonessentials in their place  It reminds us that we live ‘not by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’.  Jesus did it.

What to expect  Your stomach to lie to you  Irritability  Cold  Headache  Discomfort  Sadness  Emptiness  Alertness  New perspective  Accept suffering more easily  Answered prayer

Some tips  Take medical precautions – get your doctor’s advice if in doubt.  Don’t do it if you cannot spend the time in an unhurried way.  Stay hydrated.  Begin with one meal – spend the saved time in prayer.  Chew (sugar-free) gum.  Build up to a 24-hour fast – from supper to supper (2 meals).  Break your fast gently.