The Scripture Readings this week are:
- Isaiah 58:1-12
- Matthew 5:17-20
The Sermon title is Choose God's Fast!
Early Thoughts: In just a couple of weeks we will find ourselves in Lent. One of the old traditions of Lent is that it is a time of fasting, of choosing to abstain from certain things (most traditionally meat) for the season as we prepare for Easter. Nowadays this tradition is most commonly found in the question "what are you giving up for Lent?" -- with the understanding that what you give up is supposed to be something you would actually miss. [Side note: this tradition of fasting, of Lent as a somber season may well be the reason the Mardi Gras and Carnival take place just before Lent-- a final blowout before we start the Lenten fast.]
Fasting as a spiritual discipline has an ancient history. In Torah we find there are times when one is supposed or required to fast (Yom Kippur comes to mind) as part of the rituals of life. Fasting is a sacrificial act done to strengthen the spirit or as an act of penance. It is found in many different traditions.
But do we sometimes get it wrong?
Do people sometimes make a big deal, a big show of fasting as a way of showing how strong they are? Do people sometimes make it about themselves and not about the discipline? Even when it is about the discipline do we always allow the act of fasting to lead us into a deeper relationship with the Holy, to lead us to make a commitment to the Reign of God?
Do we sometimes think deciding not to eat chocolate (talk about denying oneself) makes a real difference in the world? What would it mean to participate in a Godly fast?
Many years ago this post ascribed to Pope Francis (there is some disagreement whether he was the first to say these things or if he even said them) floated through many Facebook feeds. These words challenge the reader to reconsider what to 'give up for Lent'. The list isn't about eating and drinking or any of the other things people often claim to be giving up. Instead they challenge us to give up things that get in the way of Kingdom-living -- and replace them with healthier/more helpful alternatives Is that more what God has in mind for a fast?
Reading this week's passage from Isaiah makes me think so. Speaking through the prophet God tells the people that they have been getting fasting wrong. They have been going though the motions but not living into the spirit. They make a show of the fast but still quarrel, still oppress each other, still look out for themselves first.
The fast God chooses is one that breaks the yokes of injustice and oppression. The fast that God chooses humbles rather than makes proud. The fast that God chooses leads to the hungry being fed and the naked being clothed. The fast that God chooses, the fast that God would have us choose, leads to renewal and rebirth, to a world rebuilt and restored.
So what fast would God have us choose in 2026? Or maybe how would God have us fast in 2026? Choosing not to eat, a hunger strike, can be a powerful tool of protest, has been for years. Boycotts are/can be, in my mind, a type of fasting and have been shown to be powerful tools as well. Fasting can help change the world.
Or there are the fasts we take for our own health, the ones that allow us to be energized to take on the reality of life. Many people choose to take a break from Social Media for just this purpose. Or some take on a "buy nothing" month to re-center themselves. Or maybe making a sincere effort to avoid sarcasm for a period of time. Fasting comes in many forms.
IS there a fast you feel called to undertake as we approach Lent this year?
--Gord
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