FAST FOOD
“Put on sackcloth, you priests, and mourn;
wail, you who minister before the altar.
Come, spend the night in sackcloth,
you who minister before my God;
for the grain offerings and drink offerings
are withheld from the house of your God.
14 Declare a holy fast;
call a sacred assembly.
Summon the elders
and all who live in the land
to the house of the Lord your God,
and cry out to the Lord.” (Joel 1:13-14 Morning Prayer reading Monday 10th February)
Is that an instruction or a description?
Fast food – do without it or Fast Food – a form of food that is quickly prepared and readily available.
It seems that the call to us in this season is the former.
Last week I wrote about the word that came to us from two directions. One to myself through the Firelighters prayer meeting and the words of the prophet Zechariah. The second, independently, and unbeknownst to the person that shared the word, from the words of Peter and the prophet Jonah, describing the response of the Ninevites to imminent wrath and judgement of God.
This week I would like to draw together some thoughts on what a corporate fast “of the sacred assembly” might look like. What it is and what it isn’t. And how can we prepare for it?
Next week will outline the form that this fast and prayer time will look like.
John Wesley once said “Some have exalted religious fasting beyond all scripture and others disregarded it all together” (p59) (all page references to Richard Foster “A Celebration of Discipline”)
Fasting is not a discipline that I have engaged with so I fall into the second category, until recently. I have not had breakfast on a Sunday for about two years and what started as disorganisation became an intentional habit. It’s a start, if a meagre one, but the intention was to forgo food (but not coffee!) for the Lord as part of my sacrifice of praise as I have the privilege to lead worship.
Q1: What is a fast not?
Slimming or weight loss. Showing off or boasting about just how good one is at fasting. A competition. A penance to earn favour through suffering.
Q2: So what is fasting?
Abstaining from food for spiritual purposes.
Q3: What does the bible say?
“The list of biblical personages who fasted reads like a “Who’s Who” of scripture: Moses the law giver, David the king, Elijah the prophet, Esther the Queen, Daniel the seer, Anna the prophetess, Paul the apostle, Jesus Christ the incarnate son” (p60)
A fast is normally form food but not water.
A partial fast may be from certain things (eg Daniel abstained from delicacies, meat and wine Dan 10:3)
An absolute fast is the exception, excludes water too, and has a maximum natural period of 3 days
Fasting is not about making oneself ill.
There are no biblical laws that command regular fasting. It is an opportunity towards discipline which a believer or group of believers can decide to exercise. But it is not compulsory. Therefore the call to fast is an invitation and no judgement lands on those who chose not to or cannot join in. (p63)
Fasting in the bible is often a private matter. Corporate fasts include the annual day of atonement (lev 23:27) but also a response to national emergency for Israel such as Joel 2:15, after invasion 2 Chron 20:1-4, Nineveh in response to Jonah mentioned above and Ezra’s call for safety as the exiles travelled back to Jerusalem (Ezra 8:21-23).
“The group fast can be a wonderful and powerful experience provided there is a prepared people who are of one mind in these matters. Serious problems in churches or other groups can be dealt with and relationships healed through unified group prayer and fasting.” (p 63)
Q4: Why now?
That is a matter of discernment and interpretation and we keep on asking God. But the initial sense is that this is a call to lament, to repent and to ask for mercy and breakthrough.
When Nehemiah heard about the broken walls of Jerusalem he wept and prayed a corporate prayer. He hadn’t personally contributed to that state of affairs but he lamented for his nation, for his fellow Jewish people and believers (Neh 1)
There may be three main reasons for this call to fast and pray together:
Recent revelations of failures in our national church regarding historic safeguarding failures, recent allegations regarding senior appointments and continuing arguments about doctrine
Current and historic failures in Christ Church (we are not perfect and we may not even be aware of that which we need to repent of)
For God to have mercy and release power through us for his purpose
The first two are down to us. The third is neither guaranteed nor our purpose. He will what he will.
This is a call to come to him in lamentation, repentance and open honest hearts.
Q5: So again, what is a fast for?
“To use good things for our own ends is always the sign of false religion” (p66)
Its easy to take fasting and use it to try to get God to do what we want. That makes it centred on us.
Fasting and praying is:
God centred
God initiated
God ordained
“When you fasted ..did you all fast unto me, even to me?” (Zech 7:5)
“If our fasting is not to God we have failed. ….(Nothing must replace God as the centre of our fasting)…. John Wesley wrote
“First let it (fasting) be done unto the Lord with our eye singly fixed on him. Let our intention herein be this, and this alone, to glorify our Father which is in heaven…”That is the only way we will be saved from loving the blessing more than the Blesser.” (p67)
The call is secure. The declaration made.
Please take this week to consider your part in what is to come. What form of fast might you be able to offer the Lord? Ask him to guide you. What preparations can you make now?
Next week the detailed call. Some tips if you are new to fasting (as I am).
Prepare your hearts. Open your minds. Search your souls. Ask of your God what he desires of us.
And share.
Your insights and thoughts. Words of wisdom. Your questions.
Every blessing
Doug
PS as I write these final words I have realised that I found it incredibly hard to start with, I wanted to break for some breakfast, but persevered through a mini-fast if you like, and having got to the end I can sense a stronger call of God to this and what is contained above. Let the hearer understand and be encouraged!
vicar@christchurchpurley.org.uk