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FASTING
(Part I)
We believe that Christendom has long abandoned a robust and rigorous approach to prayer and fasting which emphasizes both as central to the Christian faith. For Protestants, their objections to mandatory church fasts were based on the fact that those fasts which are truly accepted to God came from a heart which voluntarily engaged in the practice without coercion; whereas those whose heritage hailed from the ancient churches argued that a fasting regiment required by the church aided the faithful in actually doing a fast.
In reality, contemporary protestants nearly never fast as a consequence of such being entirely voluntary and unpopular; whereas, in Roman Catholic churches specifically, the practice not only became mere habit, but an embarrassment, as if only having fish for the meat portion of the meal on Fridays could really be an image of Christ’s suffering. On the other extreme, the Coptic church, especially the one in Ethiopia, fasts so often that the average Christian fasts more than he eats a regular diet of his own choosing, to this opposite extreme we say that such misses the point, for that is no fast at all, but a system of dietary regulations from which the Christian was freed. If a Christian does not have times of feasting, then the times of fasting lose their power, for if one is always fasting, then he is never fasting, for fasting is an act of sacrifice set against a backdrop of thanksgiving.
Indeed Holy Scripture is anything but silent on the subject of Fasting:
“Moses was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments.”(Exodus 34:28).
“Even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.” (Joel 2:12-13)
“So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: “Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and law.”(Daniel 9:3-5)
“Where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.”
(Luke 4:2-4)
“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:16-18)
"So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus." (Acts 13:3-4)
So just as we argued that feasting, full of music, delicious food, dancing, and fine drink to warm the spirit is both biblical and commendable for the Christian, so too is a time of real self-sacrifice for the cause of Christ.
By way of Ancedote; when I was a teenager at a rural public school, we had a foreign exchange student arrive from Pakistan. He was a Muslim from a wealthy military family and had many servants in his home country. Now, where I lived in Pennsylvania coal country, many French, Slovakian, Irish, and German Catholic Immigrants had settled generations before and so our school would change its menu for Lent to accommodate the large quantity of catholic kids who attended, and being invited to a typical lunch table argument about religion between some fighting fundies (of which I was one, at the time) and some Catholics about the value of fasting, in which, he presented the comparatively rigorous fast of Ramadan to our surprise. Usama (an unfortunate name to have in a post 9/11 redneck school) noted however how the fasts of Ramadan (wherein nothing is eating during daylight hours and large meals were eaten early and late) was nothing in comparison to his Christian servants back home. Not that the fact that he had Christian servants wasn’t astonishing (if not somewhat disturbing in our pride) enough, he would go on to tell us how they practiced what was called “The Black Fast.” He explained how Christians were persecuted in his home country and that they were very devout, often putting their Muslim neighbors to shame, and he told us how they would fast for lent by not eating at all except for some herbs in the evening. We all sat there, Catholics, protestants, and Muslim, equally humbled before the practice of the ancient faith.
Now to the average western Christian, who is likely overweight and never had to fast any more than skipping lunch on a busy work day, this practice seems draconian and cruel, but how is it that the second largest religion in the world, Islam, makes the Ramadan fast one of the pillars of its religion and is practiced strictly worldwide by billions? Why is it that Muslims can go through an entire day without food for a month, but Christians act as if such were impossible? Is their faith greater than ours? Why are we not willing to sacrifice and suffer for the sake of Christ at all?
Of course, no one is made righteous before God by fasting, indeed, those who brag as they fast or make a spectacle of themselves are said by Christ “to have already received their reward”and that His followers were to practice such in humility, but does the fact that fasting can be abused and that we are saved by Grace alone imply that we should balk at any regimented corporate fast at all?
The black fast was practiced by all Christians through the 9th century and into the 10th before the various sects came up with much laxer fasting practices and if all Christendom was able to do this for centuries and if our brothers and sisters who are dying for their faith in Muslim nations are willing to suffer in this way for their faith, why cannot we as a community not set aside our worldly pleasures for a little over two months out of the year?
Note this section from an article in the Catholic Encyclopedia:
“In the first place more than one meal was strictly prohibited. At this meal flesh meat, eggs, butter, cheese, and milk were interdicted (Gregory I, Decretals IV, cap. vi; Trullan Synod, Canon 56). Besides these restrictions abstinence from wine, specially during Lent, was enjoined (Thomassin, Traité des jeûnes de l'Église, II, vii). Furthermore, during Holy Week the fare consisted of bread, salt, herbs, and water (Laymann, Theologia Moralis, Tr. VIII; De observatione jejuniorum, i). Finally, this meal was not allowed until sunset. St. Ambrose (De Elia et jejunio, sermo vii, in Psalm CXVIII), St. Chrysostom (Homil. iv in Genesim), St. Basil (Oratio i, De jejunio) furnish unequivocal testimony concerning the three characteristics of the black fast. The keynote of their teaching is sounded by St. Bernard (Sermo. iii, no. 1, De Quadragesima), when he says "hitherto we have fasted only until none" (3 p.m.) "whereas, now" (during Lent) "kings and princes, clergy and laity, rich and poor will fast until evening". It is quite certain that the days of Lent (Muller, Theologia Moralis, II, Lib. II, Tr. ii, sect. 165, no. 11) as well as those preceding ordination were marked by the black fast. This regime continued until the tenth century when the custom of taking the only meal of the day at three o'clock was introduced (Thomassin, loc. cit.).”[1]
PRAYER (PART II)
It is no secret that prayer is important for the Christian life;
“Therefore, I exhort first of all those supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men, on behalf of kings and all those who are in authority, that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. For this is good and acceptable before God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the full knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, the testimony in due time; for which I was appointed a herald and apostle--I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie--a teacher of Gentiles in faith and truth. I desire therefore that men pray in every place, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.” (1 Timothy 2:1-8)
Every Christian should make room for the opportunity to have a time for private prayer; this is in accordance with the words of Christ:
"And whenever you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues, and on the streetcorners, so that they may be seen by men. Assuredly I say to you, that they receive their reward in full. But you, whenever you pray, enter into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly. (Matthew 6:5-6)
Christ commands that we go to our prayer closets instead of making pretentious prayers in front of others (obviously corporate prayers are a different thing entirely), and so every Christian should provide themselves opportunity to use their own family’s prayer closet, even if it must be specially built for the purpose, so that they might have time to be with God in quiet. The prayer closet might have icons in it for those who are aided in their prayers by such, or not if they feel such might tempt them to idolatry. Others might want to use ear plugs to block outside noise, and the time can be used to perform memorized or scripted prayers, impromptu ad lib prayers, quiet mediation, or all three. Either way, this should be a daily exercise for every adult.
The Lord’s Prayer should be very frequently recited and ancient prayers such as the Jesus Prayer and the Gloria Patri with the Magnificat being likewise suggested (especially for mothers and young women). These prayers either come from Scripture or are based on Scripture and so may be used so as to prevent one from unnecessarily babbling on in prayer as if one needed to remember everything in such a way as if God did not know it already, as Christ Himself also warns:
“But when you pray, do not babble like the heathen, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows what things you have need of before you ask Him. herefore pray in this manner: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”(Matthew 6:7-13)
Not only this, but the Psalms should be regularly sung by Christians not only at church but also in the home. The Psalms of David for centuries; whether in Egyptian monasteries or among the Scottish Covenanters, have been memorized and sung by God’s people and we too believe that such should be a staple of the Christian life. Christians should also have regular psalms sings, especially during the fasting seasons of Lent and Advent.
“But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you may do in word or deed, do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Colossians 3:14-17)
Not only this, but families should be encouraged to do a devotion or family worship every evening before bed with their children wherein there should be prayer, scripture reading, and explanation of the Scriptures with the singing of Psalms also being highly suggested.
“And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)
“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15)
In this, Christian communities should be entirely immersed in prayer and God’s Word and a life of service to Christ and fellowship with Him in a deeply communicative relationship.
-Joshua Johnson