God & The Whole Person, Pt. 1: Fasting
Take Communion
Leader: Begin your gathering by taking communion together, whether as a full meal together or some version of the bread and the cup before or after your meal. If you don’t already have a Communion liturgy, have someone read Psalm 23:
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil,
for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Read This Overview Aloud Together
The season of Lent is the 40 day period before Easter that corresponds with the 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness, fasting and enduring Satan’s temptations. Lent witnesses to the power and beauty of our union with Christ and to the daily dying and rising with Christ that this entails. One of the primary ways that we lean into the observance of Lent is through the practice of fasting. While fasting allows us to enter into the suffering of Jesus, it is also meant to draw and center our hearts on the deeper gift we receive through his death, burial, and resurrection. Simply put, fasting is a way to place ourselves in the way of grace by withdrawing our reliance on earthly things so that we can feast on God’s presence and power. It is an ancient, embodied practice of giving up superficial desires to get in touch with our deepest desires.
Lenten fasting differs from traditional fasting, however, in that we observe “feasting days” on each Sunday of Lent, during which we pause our fast as a way of stirring up hope for what is to come — our celebration of the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday. So, in Lent we fast and feast as a way of anticipating Jesus’ gift of life. Also, while the Lenten fast began on Ash Wednesday (February 22), it’s not too late to start! There is nothing magic about the 40 day period, so consider starting this week and join the global church in the Lenten fast, which ends on Easter (April 9).
Do This Practice Tonight
For our Practice tonight, we are going to have a discussion in smaller groups about how we want to participate in a Lenten fast. The purpose of fasting during Lent is to abstain from things like food, drink, or certain routine actions in order to remind ourselves that only God can truly satisfy our soul-level hunger. We fast from things that bring us comfort – our appetites, approvals, and ambitions – in order to feast on God’s presence. So let’s get into smaller groups, and then we’ll work through some prompts to discern how we each want to participate in Lent this year.
(Leader: Pause and have everyone split into smaller groups. Once everyone has settled, pray and invite the Spirit to speak his invitation to each person clearly and ask that God would stir our hearts to respond.)
As we have this discussion, remember that deciding what to fast from doesn’t have to be or feel dramatic or heavy; it is not meant to be a way of punishing yourself. If you’re not sure what to pick, go for something you will notice the absence of, not something that will genuinely cause you suffering.
Read This List. To begin, let’s consider the following lists of frequent things people fast from in Lent. As you listen, pay special attention to any invitation you may sense from the Spirit.
Foods Generally Associated with Feasting: chocolate, all desserts, coffee, caffeine, alcohol, meat, bread, etc.
Media or Entertainment: apps on your phone, television, a favorite streaming service, movies, radio or music in the car, computer use at home, video games, social media, etc.
Habits and Comforts: shopping (online and/or in stores), using elevators instead of stairs, parking in a spot close to the store or your work, finding the shortest checkout line, surfing the internet when bored, etc.
Discuss. Let’s take a few minutes discussing our experiences with fasting (Lenten or otherwise) and whether or not we may have sensed the beginnings of an invitation from the Spirit about what to fast from as those lists were read.
Read These Questions: Now, let’s read through a few prompting questions. As they’re read, pay attention to one that may stick out or could be connected to an invitation from the Spirit. (Leader: Read the following questions slowly, pausing briefly between each.)
Have I become dependent on something other than God to attend to the deeper aches of my soul?
What do I use to find pleasure, comfort, or emotional regulation?
What conveniences am I conditioned to automatically use? (e.g. elevators or escalators instead of stairs, close parking spaces, music/podcasts in the background, etc.)
What could I abstain from that might help draw my attention to my deeper need for
Jesus?
Discuss. Let’s take this last chunk of time to discuss what of those questions stuck out to you. Where might you have sensed an invitation from the Spirit? If anyone feels compelled to commit to fasting from something through Lent, feel free to share that with your group.
Read The Practice for the Week Ahead
For the week ahead, engage in your Lenten fast. Take a moment to commit it to Jesus – this could look like journaling about it, writing it on a sticky note to keep on your bathroom mirror, or remembering it in prayer each morning. However you choose, it’s important to enter this journey with clarity and commitment around what God is inviting you to do. Once you’ve committed it to God, share it with your Community and/or a close friend who is also participating in Lent. We do not share as a form of accountability, but as a way to celebrate God’s invitations to us. Continue to celebrate and share with them throughout the Lenten season what you sense the Spirit is doing in and through each of you.
End in Prayer
Leader: Close your time together asking for God to continue growing each of you into people who know his love, hear his voice, and abide in him.