Fasting
The Book of Common Prayer appoints Ash Wed. and Good Friday as days of fasting, BCP p. 17. It goes on to say that the forty days of Lent are days of, “Special Devotion” and are, “observed by special acts of discipline and self denial.”
What’s fasting all about anyway? Classically, it’s giving up food, a source of life, in imitation of Jesus’ fasting, and in thanksgiving for His crucifixion.
Fasting is a reduction in the quantity of food we eat in a particualr time period. Fasting is not a weight loss program, though if you do happen to drop a few pounds that’s OK. Traditionally a strict fast such as the Ash Wed. or Good Friday fast entails eating nothing for the bulk of the day, and having a simple meal sometime after one has been to church. This is especially true if you are receiving communion. If you have blood sugar, or other medical issues one can apply fasting to other activities.
What are the benefits of fasting? You give your body a rest from all the stuff you put in it, your GI tract gets a vacation! Drink lots of water. You can experience if you have any fears about not eating. Do you get in touch with any feelings of deprivation? It is good at this point to jot them down for future reference. This is wonderful food for prayer! Here’s an example. Let’s say you grew up in a family where you were told to, ” lick the platter clean.” If you didn’t you might be labeled, “bad,” or “ungrateful.” These old things need healing. It’s what God wants to do. You can pray for that healing. Fasting clears our mind so that we become more spiritually aware. It’s easier to hear God when we’ve been fasting.
We can also fast for others as an act of intersession. That’s doing someone else’s fasting for them as a gift.
During the forty days of Lent you may not do a strict fast, but reducing your quantity of food by one meal is great. It’s best to fast regularly, so that it begins to become a part of your lifestyle. Schedule your fasting, maybe doing it on Fridays or one meal a day.
Speaking of schedules, a great thing about fasting is that it’s a spiritual practice that doesn’t take extra time. You get more time because you don’t have to fool with food. In fact it is a spiritual practice that you be about while you are doing anything else! That’s exactly what God wants!
