echoes of redemption | steven dilla

(One Prayer Fast Day 4)

There are so many people doing this fast - it’s been incredible to be a small part in something so big. The first time our church fasted like this, I was a little taken back by some of the things people ate or didn’t eat on the fast. 

Things that, by my interpretation of the guidelines, had no place in the fast were common place with a couple of people and families. On the other hand, things I felt were 100% okay, others abstained from.

This time is no different. A friend of mine walked into a meeting the other day with an Izze. For Emily and I, we drink these all the time and we’re not doing carbonated beverages during the fast - so an Izze would be off the list (and highly tempting). But for my friend, an Izze is a huge sacrifice from the normal cuisine.

Ultimately I’ve come to realize that fasting is about sacrifice. And everyone is sacrificing right now.

What we’re doing  has so little to do with what you eat and what you do not eat - it has everything to do with the focus you hold, the sacrifice you make and the discipline you build.

The community is fasting. But that means different things for different people, because we are all at different places in our walk with God (not to mention our diet!). The important thing is that we build each other up, help one another and don’t get caught up in legalistic judging.

When the community fasts, it is just as much about community as it is about fasting.

(One Prayer Fast Day 2)

There are big differences between communal and personal fasting. With One Prayer, our community at Fellowship Church has united together in a communal fast. Below are some of my personal thoughts on communal fasting and my experiences thus far (as well as in the past).

• When we fast together we find the strength, accountability, encouragement and power that God has built in to our Christian community. This requires a certain level of openness, but without a doubt, the people who journey through the fast with us are people who are surrounded by the support of the community God has placed them in.
• Leaders need to share openly about their struggles in a communal fast. The first time Fellowship Church fasted, I will never forget watching a video blog Ed did. He shared his struggles and I thought - he’s struggling too? There was vulnerability for him to share this and it encouraged me that I wasn’t’ the only one stretched by fasting.
• When we fast together, and allow certain foods and disallow other foods, it builds discipline. The Bible teaches us there are essentially two options in life, good and evil. These two options are not all that far apart and it takes spiritual discipline on the part of the Christian to live in a dark world, but not of it. Fasting from certain foods builds discipline. It focuses the mind, trains the heart and helps us grow spiritually to prepare for the battles ahead.