What comes to your mind when you think of fasting? Maybe you think of fasting in cultural and physiological terms; as in, a cleanse of lemon juice and cayenne pepper is good to clear the “aura” and improve energy! Or maybe you grew up Catholic and you think of fish on Fridays and no chocolate during Lent. Maybe you’re an American Protestant and you don't think of fasting at all! The truth is that our spiritual culture has shunned fasting as a spiritual practice for a long time. We contemporary Methodists probably associate it with the rules, regulations, deprivations and “bad religion” of a past era. But, I think it’s time to reclaim the spiritual art and power of fasting.
We live in a busy, on-demand world. We want for nothing and that’s a problem! In a culture of excess, self-restraint is a great teacher. We can learn to say NO; to our attachments and fears, our habitual thoughts and distractions. We can learn to say NO to whatever has “piled up” between us and God. This Lent we will explore the power of fasting - from food, from thought, from practices - in order to remember who we are as children of God and live the abundant life God promises. If God is calling you to a fast, now is the time.