Fasting: Not a Divine Diet Plan

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
March 11, 2012
Third Sunday in Lent
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“Fasting:  Not a Divine Diet Plan”

            We have been looking at different aspects of Jesus’ teaching from Matthew chapter six. But before Jesus talks about alms-giving, prayer and even fasting, he says this:  “Beware of practicing your piety.”  This passage has long been a rallying cry of the mainline liberal Protestant church.  But the passage is not about practicing your faith or even doing it in front of other people.  The entire teaching is about why someone would practice their faith.  Jesus says, “Beware of practicing your faith to be seen by others.”  In other words, the issue is the intention of our practices.  Jesus is warning about the trouble that can come when faith that is lived out with the hope of praise and recognition or even confrontation, controversy and political advantage.

            It is Jesus’ expectation that his followers will give alms, pray, and even fast.  Fasting is the strange practice which seems remote to many.  It is the one practice with which I find the most resistance.  Often before the words are out of my mouth people begin by saying, I have medical issues, I cannot fast.  Or, what is the point of that anyway?  With an eye toward full disclosure, fasting is one of the spiritual practices with which I have the most difficulty because of both of the reasons I have heard from others.  But instead of focusing on those issues, let me talk about the benefits and reasons why fasting could be a powerful practice for all of us.
            The essence of fasting is this:  Abstaining from something for a period of time to help gain perspective and deeper insight about the most important things in life.  It can be food, but it can also be a great many others things.  It might be watching television, talking on the phone, texting, or surfing the internet.  It certainly can be food and it could also be shopping or even sex.  But the giving up of these things for a period of time is only fasting if YOU choose willingly to do it.  If you are too busy to eat, that is not fasting.  If the money has run out before the end of the month, that is not fasting.  If your cable goes out, that is not fasting.  Or, if you feel compelled to do it simply because I say so, that is not fasting.  Though there is probably little risk of that last one.  Fasting is about stopping to gain perspective.   
            Last week, Flynn Park Elementary school practiced an all-school fast; not for religious reasons, but it was a fast nonetheless.  The fast they observed was “No Screen Week.”  No one was forced or compelled to join in the practice.  The hope was that students and families would use that time to be together more, or get outside and enjoy nature, or to read more, or anything but mindless hours in front of glowing screens.  For a generation being inundated by the glowing screens of phones, televisions, computers, game stations, and many others, it was an opportunity to break from mindless consumption.  From what I understand, the participation rates were extremely high. 
              At this point I could say something like, If a school that works hard not to acknowledge religion can practice fasting a church should be able to get over its resistance to the practice.  And while that could be fun, it would be the antithesis of the practice.  Fasting is not about compulsion any more than it is a magical act that will bring about a particular result.  But it can be a powerful tool that helps us gain perspective on what it most important.  That is why I want to invite you to participate in this practice this week.  But it is only an invitation not a demand or even a passive aggressive way of using guilt to have you participate.  Only you can figure out what you should abstain from for a week.  If it is food, please start slowly, a meal here or a type of food.  Maybe you will take the example of Flynn Park and abstain from screens for the week.
               Whatever you do… use the time you have to stop and reflect on where you are with your life.  Simply replacing one activity for another, that does not allow for reflection, is not fasting either.  So, for the next few moments I am going to invite you into a time of silence for us to reflect on what might make the most impact in our practice of fasting.  If you are drawn to this practice but would like to talk more, or gain a bit more guidance, please reach out to me and I am happy to work through this with you.  May this week be a time of insight and perspective for all of us, as we seek to grow deeper in our faith.  Amen!