Feb 20 2010 09:59 pm
Posted by pastorandy under Lent,average guy fasting,spiritual discipline
My Lenten Journey Day 4
I’m about 72 hours into this, and it’s been 2 days since I blogged last on my Lenten journey. I’m still wrestling with what to share and how to do it. My goal has been to encourage others to enter into some spiritual disciplines for Lent. The experience of fasting feels too personal to write too much about, and I am not wanting to draw attention to myself for it. Instead, I think as I blog through Lent I’ll write about prayer and that sort of thing. I will say this, there are many ways to go about fasting, whether from food, or tv, or the internet. The goal is to make space to allow God to shape you.
One of the effects this fast has had on me so far is that I’ve begun to realize how much I use food emotionally. Food is needed to live, of course, and it also is important in community – eating together is an important activity for a community or family. I use food for more than that though. I’m realizing it can be an idol, something I use to comfort me or that I use to better enjoy watching tv, for example. The emotional side of my eating is really coming out during this time.
I think the thing that has helped the most is “The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime” by Phyllis Tickle. It is a prayerbook for February through May that has 4 sets of prayers and Psalm readings per day. I’ll post a link at the bottom of this post. I’ve been praying during each mealtime, and I am finding that it really helps me as I desire food. These brief prayer times have been comforting and have given me strength. I don’t say this as a prayer expert, or super religious pastor guy. I say this as someone who loves food and is still really working on prayer. Yet somehow they come together and I’ve found strength in prayer.
As I struggle with how much to share (keeping Matthew 6 in mind) it leaves me wondering how much I will blog about this. However, my goal remains the same. I hope that my struggling with fasting and spiritual disciplines, yet trying them, can give someone the courage to try it as well. God really meets us in these places, not because we’ve done some magic trick to get God’s attention. Rather, we’ve allowed ourselves to be open to the moving of the Holy Spirit and the grace of God. I hope God is blessing your journey so far.
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Jean Aldrich
on 24 Feb 2010 at 7:27 pm #
Thank you for your entry. I appreciate the thought of praying in place of a meal, and your personal journey with emotional eating. I believe I have a emotional eating issue, however haven’t found the strength to pray about it. As an update to you, Joe and I continue our bible time each night. I have spent time with Genesis, Exodus, and Leviticus, starting with Numbers. I’m amazed at how much I’ve uncovered by ACTUALLY READING the Bible.
For beginners like me, I keep the internet open to bible dictionary reference sites while we are reading so if we need better understanding of a word, we can look it up. I’ve also been exploring reference sites on the history of Israel.
One question I have – in Matthew 8:4 (I think) it reads something about “…. the gift Moses commanded….” but I don’t know what gift it is referring to – any suggestions?
Thanks again. Jean