Lent & Fasting

Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.
Matthew 9:14–15

SEASONS

The church calendar has two seasons that are widely acknowledged: Advent and Lent. Advent is the season when we remember Christ’s incarnation and birth in Bethlehem while simultaneously looking forward to Christ’s glorious return. Engrained in this season are the themes of joy, hope, peace, and love. Lent is the forty-day season beginning on Ash Wednesday, and it culminates with Holy Week, when we remember the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. This season is marked by the themes of repentance, prayer, and fasting, which then give way to resurrection joy and refreshment.

The fact that Lent is forty days (excluding Sundays) is not random. In the Bible, the number forty carries a great deal of significance, particularly in relation to time. For example, in the Flood (Genesis 6–7), rain fell for forty days and nights. In Jonah’s ministry to Nineveh, he proclaims that judgment will come in forty days (Jonah 3:4). In these two instances, the number forty is connected to the theme of judgment and cleansing.

The number forty appears in other passages such as the forty years Israel spent in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 8:2), the giving of the Law to Moses at Sinai (Exodus 24), and Elijah’s forty-day journey to Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19). In these instances, forty demarcates a period of testing and formation. The final example—and perhaps the most important—is the forty days Jesus spent fasting and resisting the temptations of Satan in the wilderness before beginning his ministry (Matthew 4:1–11). In this case, forty days serves as a time of preparation for redemptive action. Thus, by setting the duration of Lent to forty days, the Church maintains the biblical pattern of disciplined waiting, where God uses set-apart time to bring about repentance, obedience, and new life.

HISTORY

The early church picked up on these themes and their connection to the number forty to develop the season of Lent as a time of preparation for baptism, especially for adult converts. These catechumens (those pursuing baptism) would spend the forty days in fasting, prayer, repentance, and catechetical instruction, and then would be baptized on Easter Sunday.

 These forty days served not only as a time of preparation and instruction for how to live out their new life in Christ, but also as a time to renounce their former way of life. In this way, Lent functioned as a season of dying to sin through the disciplines of repentance, prayer, and fasting. Upon baptism, they would celebrate their resurrection life with Christ, often with a great baptismal feast.

While the practice of reserving baptism for Easter has largely been replaced by more frequent baptisms, the forty-day season of Lent still holds a place on the church calendar.

While Lent is widely recognized, each Christian tradition observes it in distinct ways. For example, Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians see Lent as a formal, communal season that requires a more structured observance of spiritual disciplines such as prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. In Protestant traditions that maintain more continuity with the Roman Catholic Church, such as Anglicans and Lutherans, these Lenten disciplines are encouraged but remain voluntary and flexible.

Other Protestant or Reformed churches take a more critical approach to the season of Lent. This is not because there is opposition to repentance or self-denial, but out of concern that adherence to tradition might obscure the gospel message of justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. This concern arose in response to the works-based righteousness and false zeal that were prevalent within the Roman Catholic Church in the sixteenth century.

LENT AT SACRED CITY

Now that the different approaches to Lent have been laid out, you might be wondering how we observe it at Sacred City Church.

We certainly take into consideration the critiques of the Reformation. Lent is not about performative piety. We are not trying to prove how devout we are to God (or others) by practicing various disciplines in order to earn righteousness or approval. That can only be found by placing your faith in Christ.

However, we see value in setting aside seasons, both personally and corporately, for prayer, repentance, and fasting. These practices are means by which we might supplement our faith with virtue (2 Peter 1:5). Of course, individuals have the freedom to engage in these disciplines at any time. There is no need for the Church to sanction or limit these practices to a specific time on the calendar.

The reason we see value in setting aside a time of corporate prayer, repentance, and fasting is that we see this pattern in both the Old and New Testaments (Leviticus 16; Nehemiah 9; Acts 13). Lent provides us with an opportunity to seek the Lord together.

Therefore, as we enter into the Lenten season, we do so from a posture of freedom. We have the freedom to participate and the freedom to abstain as our conscience and the Holy Spirit direct. Our pastors do not expect rigid participation from all congregants for the entirety of the season. Rather, we want to extend an invitation to voluntarily participate in the formative disciplines that train our loves, cultivate self-denial, and deepen our longing for God.

LENTEN DISCIPLINES

As previously mentioned, there are a few disciplines associated with Lent: prayer, repentance, and fasting. It is important to state that these disciplines are not an end in themselves, nor a way of earning grace, but practices that open us to honest self-examination, leading us to turn from sin and turn to Christ in faith. These disciplines are not meant to exasperate us, but to bring times of refreshing (Acts 3:19).

In 1 Thessalonians 5:17 we are commanded to “pray without ceasing.” During Lent, we lean into this command by intentionally setting aside routine times of prayer. A healthy prayer life is one of the chief indicators of a healthy Christian; it is as essential to our soul as breathing is to our body. As Martin Luther said, “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.”

Prayer is communion and communication. When we pray, we commune with God. It is a covenant privilege to have access in one Spirit to the Father, granted to us through Christ (Ephesians 2:18). This means the act of praying ought to explicitly remind us of the gospel. We do not pray because we are trying to “get in” with God. Christ has given us access; therefore, we honor him by approaching the throne of grace with confidence.

 Prayer is also two-directional communication. In prayer, we speak to God, and God speaks to us through his Word. Because God already knows what we need before we ask, one of the most important aspects of prayer is being still and listening (Psalm 46:10). God speaks most directly through his Word, which means a thriving prayer life takes place before an open Bible (Psalm 119:105).

Prayer also involves bringing our requests to God (Philippians 4:6). Our Lord cautions us in Matthew 6:5 not to pray as the Pharisees do, with empty phrases. We must learn the language of prayer through the Psalms and the rest of Scripture as we speak God’s Word back to him.

As we commune with God in Word and prayer, we should expect the Holy Spirit to work in our lives, bringing forth repentance and its fruit (Luke 3:8). Through Word and prayer, we come to know the holiness of God more fully and become more aware of our sin. The gospel assures us, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Rather than hiding our sins, we confess and turn from them, trusting Christ for healing (James 5:16). 

FASTING

This brings us to the final discipline of Lent: fasting.

Many Christians associate Lent with “giving something up.” This is a crude way to think about fasting, because it can make it seem like a burden or inconvenience. But fasting is not meant to be a burden; it is a gift that helps us fill up on God.

At its most basic level, fasting is the voluntary abstention from food—or particular foods—for a spiritual purpose. A spiritual fast has a different aim than a health fast such as intermittent fasting. It is not about weight loss, calorie deficits, or ketosis; it is about disciplining body and spirit to say “no” to a good thing so that you might say “yes” to the best thing.

Fasting reminds us that discipleship is cruciform—shaped like the cross. We cannot follow Jesus unless we deny ourselves and take up our cross. To be clear, fasting is not a way to earn God’s favor—we already have that in Christ, who denied himself for us. Rather, fasting expresses our need and longing for God and his kingdom. After all, man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).

Two chapters later, Jesus says, “When you fast…” (Matthew 6:16), showing that this practice was expected to continue throughout the church age.

Biblical fasts generally fall into two categories: responsive fasting and petitionary fasting.

Responsive fasting is when we fast in response to something God has revealed or allowed. Examples include fasting in contrition over sin (Nehemiah 9:1–3) or fasting in mourning (2 Samuel 12:16). In these cases, fasting expresses lament and repentance.

Petitionary fasting accompanies urgent prayer for a specific matter. Examples include fasting in crisis (Esther 4:16), seeking protection and provision (Ezra 8:21–23), seeking guidance and commissioning (Acts 13:2–3), or preparation for ministry (Matthew 4:1–2). In these cases, fasting intensifies prayer and declares, “Lord, I need you.”

Regardless of the circumstance, fasting is a companion to prayer. While we abstain from one activity, we actively engage in communion with God. Prayer directs the heart toward God; fasting intensifies that direction by setting aside ordinary provision to express deeper dependence on him.

Fasting remained a staple throughout most of church history, yet in modern times fasting has widely fallen out of practice—often dismissed as outdated, overly ascetic, or downright uncomfortable. While there are certainly wrong ways to go about fasting, Jesus directly warns us to not fast like the Pharisees (Matthew 6:16-18), fasting is not something we should abstain from all together simply because we might do it wrong. With God’s Word as our guide, we should lean into this discipline as the Spirit leads us. As we live in a culture marked by abundance, convenience, and self-indulgence, fasting might be one of the most important disciplines for Christians to practice for the good of our souls. 

It is also important to note that the Lenten fast is not about giving things up just for the sake of giving things up, we fast as a way to prepare for the feast. Think of it this way, if you are going to go have a nice steak dinner at a premier restaurant you are not going to be snacking on corn nuts thirty minutes before your reservation. No, you are going to hold off from eating before hand, even if that means dealing with a little hunger pain, so that you can feast on the better option. In the same way our spiritual fast prepares us for a spiritual feast. This is why Sundays are not counted in the 40 days of Lent, they are built in feast days. They are days where we break fast and fill up on God’s good gifts and most importantly we come to the Lord’s Table to feasting at the banquet table of Christ. In fact, the majority of the Christian life is a feast, not a fast.

There are times when fasting is not appropriate. For example when Jesus is questioned about why his disciples aren’t fasting like John’s disciples, he replies in Matthew 9:15, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.” Jesus is saying that his disciples aren’t fasting because they are enjoying a season with the bridegroom. It is more fitting that they would feast. But now Jesus has returned to the right hand of the Father and in his absence the church ought to fast on occasion as we await the glorious return of the Bridegroom.

WAYS TO FAST

In the Bible, as fast implies abstaining completely from food (Esther 4:16) or avoiding particular foods or drink (Daniel 10:2-3). We also see times of planned fasting (Leviticus 23:32) and times of spontaneous fasting (Ezra 8:21-23). There are fasts that extend over a long period of time (Exodus 34:28) and short fasts (2 Samuel 1:12). All that to say there are many ways fasting has been observed. Since we are not under the law, but grace, there is freedom in when, how and how long we fast.

I personally have observed fasting in a number of ways through my life, each one has had its own benefits and special focus. For example you might fast from a certain kind of food, such as sweets and snacking. These foods can be unnecessary comfort foods that air on the side of self indulgence. Not that its wrong to enjoy a donut or ice cream cone every now and then (in fact when you eat those its totally possible to eat it unto the glory of God!). But if you are reaching for the snack out of boredom or comfort reflex perhaps that might be something you fast from. Other examples might be coffee, soda, alcohol and the like.

Another option for fasting would be to think about what distracts you from more noble causes. Perhaps its scrolling through social media, binge watching TV, or thumbing through the news constantly. You might think about taking time off from these activities to devote yourself to prayer, worship and community instead. Perhaps you are a chronic online shopper. One way you could practice self denial is by limiting yourself to only necessary shopping and finding ways to be generous toward others instead. If you are a person that loves constant noise, be it podcasts, audio books, music or even the TV as background noise. You might think about taking a sort of silence fast. Where you create silence so that you can devote yourself to prayer and listing for God in the stillness.

There are a number of ways to fast. I encourage you to think about a feasibly sacrificial thing that you can abstain from for part of the Lenten season. You might not do it every day of Lent, but maybe on designated days. Or perhaps you select just one week to fast from something. Perhaps you fast for certain part of the day. Again, many ways to do this. Another option would be to rotate through different fasts throughout the seasons. The objective stays the same—saying “no” to something good to say “yes” to something better—but you that “good thing” changes. 

If you’re new to fasting you don’t need to swing for the fences, especially with a food fast. Start small and manageable. If you have special health considerations, it may be wise check in with you doctor before embarking on a fast. Set out to do what is reasonable for you to avoid feeling like a failure. And if you do come to the place where you’ve “failed your fast” all you need to do is remember the gospel! 

AN INVIATION

The Elders of Sacred City - Moline are inviting the church to step into these Lenten disciplines, especially the discipline of corporate fasting. As stated before, participation in our Lenten disinclines is completely voluntary and flexible, there is no obligation because we are under the covenant of grace. However, fasting is still a spiritual discipline that can serve to strengthen our relationship with God. For that reason we are encouraging our congregants to seriously consider fasting in some capacity during the season of Lent. 

For those who already are convinced about fasting and have a plan we commend you in whatever you set out to do! For those who would like guidance, we are making the following suggestions. Each week of lent we have identified a specific element to fast from. There are about seven weeks in the Lenten season, so we have designated seven week long fasts, with Sundays being a feast day. Each week there will be an episode of the Sacred City Vision Drip Podcast explaining what the fast might look like and options to modify.

• Week 1: (Feb 18th - Feb 24th): Social Media & News

• Week 2: (Feb 25th - March 3rd): Music & Podcasts

• Week 3: (March 4th - March 10th): Television & Movies

• Week 4 (March 11th - March 17th): Sweets Fast

• Week 5 (March 18th - March 24th): Alcohol

• Week 6 (March 25th - March 30th): Caffeine

• Week 7 (April 1st - April 3rd): A Meal

FASTING FOR...

Regardless of how fasting is observed, we want to encourage our church to fast to the same end. Throughout this Lenten season we want to encourage you petition God for an “Evangelist’s Heart.” A heart that has a deep love for Christ and a deep concern for our unbelieving family, friends and neighbors. It’s a heart much like the Apostle Paul’s that carries both boldness to speak the truth clearly and courageously, as well as urgent compassion to reach the lost (Romans 9:1-3). We are convinced that a heart like this is what fuels the mission of God moving forward in our cities. We are hoping that God would grant our petitions for an Evangelist’s Heart and as a result see a host of new faces at our Holy Week Services where the gospel message is potently communicated.

May this Lenten season train us to hunger rightly so that when the joy of Resurrection Sunday arrives we may feast with deeper gratitude on the grace that is ours in Jesus Christ.

- Pastor Sam