Chapters 3 and 4 of the book offer some practical advice for participating in the discipline of fasting. As such I’ve decided to address them both together. Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the season of Lent and the official beginning of the “40 Days of Solidarity” experience. I pray that it will be a valuable experience for you and a time of great reflection and purpose.
1) If you have any experience with fasting in the past, please feel free to share your story with us. How did you observe your fast and for how long? What was your biggest takeaway form the experience? In what ways was it beneficial? In what ways was it difficult or challenging?
2) For many people this may be their first encounter with this ancient discipline, if this is true for you share some of your hang ups or reservations. It’s possible someone else is feeling the same way.
3) Have you settled on a fast for our study? If so, what does that look like? What country are you focusing on?
Shane Bertou
February 21, 2012
Last year for Lent our church participated in the “40 Days of Water” fast as a group. We made a commitment to drink only tap water during Lent. The money we would have otherwise spent on coffee, soda, beer, etc. was instead donated to the Uganda Water Project. I was really proud of our church. We’re fairly small, around a hundred people or so, but we collected enough money to build a rainwater collection system that would provide clean drinking water for people in Uganda.
It was the first group fast I had ever participated in. I really enjoyed the sense of solidarity. Not only with one another in our congregation, but also with those our “drinking money” would serve.
brunswickchurchlent2012
February 21, 2012
I have never tried in a fast before. I have some health concerns, but really wanted to participate, so I’ve settled on a meal plan that will support my health plan, but mimic a common meal. For example, for lunch, I will have a simple meal that is reminiscent of beans and rice. I will incorporate quinoa and chia (protein sources) and create a basic meal that I will repeat six days a week. I will also celebrate the feast day on Sundays. I am planning on having one cup of coffee or tea in the morning and then drinking water the rest of the time. I don’t have a lot of confidence in my discipline, but am committed to being aware of that and trying to overcome it.
Jaime
February 22, 2012
I’ve had a bit of experience with fasting. I’ve done the 30-Hour Famine a few times, and I’ve fasted on my own here and there. One major barrier I’ve had to fasting is that I get migraines (which, obviously, won’t be a problem with this fast, where the food is limited but not absent). Another potential difficulty is that my family is joining me once a week, and I’ll feast with them once a week, but for the other five days I still get to make meals that i can’t eat.
I’m focusing on Haiti. My diet is rice and beans, milk and coffee, spinach, squash, banana, oatmeal.