Outlook

Fasting – It’s not just for Lent

As we begin our Lenten journey, we must remember that we are always leaning into Easter. Lent is a time for us to be particularly attentive to the world around us. It invites us to be aware of our relationships and to tend to them with gentleness. The Holy Season of Lent is an invitation to make things not so much about ourselves. “Selfishness is the root of all evil.” This is a teaching that I make regularly with younger folks, but one that we each need to take to heart. The world is not all about me and it is not all about you, but it is about our common life together. Fasting, a key component of the practices of Lent, is an invitation to let go of our desires for personal comfort. They remind us in small and large ways that we often have more than what we need. At this point in our cultural and national history, taking on practices that value community and connection over self-satisfaction is a power and prophetic witness that all is not well in our world. 

Folks came out to the desert to see and hear John the Baptist, because he spoke truth to power, but I am also sure that for many people his ascetic practices also caught their attention. When we encounter someone who is fasting, or who forgoes the comforts of our contemporary world, we are often taken off guard. It can be a jolting experience to learn that someone is letting go of their own desires, so that they may grow more attuned to the needs and being of others. This is what fasting does for us. It sets us free to be present to others, and helps others to explore doing the same. 

The Book of Common Prayer offers us prayers and practices we can use when things are not right in our nation and world. Things are not right now, and I invite us to take part in these practices, not just in Lent but until we see change and become changed ourselves. Historically, Christians have fasted every Wednesday and Friday, and our sisters and brothers in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church practice nearly 250 days of fasting each year. 

I invite you on behalf of the Church to develop a practice of fasting and explore how the act of abstaining can fill your heart and help to strengthen our appreciation and connection to one another.

The Rev. Andrew Kellner, Rector 

The weeks after Easter Sunday, when spring is lush and new, is traditionally a time when we return to stories of earth's creation. Join us for a contemplative morning telling and listening to creation stories from cultures and religious traditions around the world. We’ll read, learn and discuss stories from the Judeo-Christian Bible, as well as those from Yoruba, Lenape, Hindu and other religious traditions. Then, we will take a brief walkabout outside (weather permitting) and spend time in the graveyard’s quiet beauty, walking the labyrinth, or simply sitting observantly in the field. Finally, we’ll come together again and, using inspiration gathered that morning, respond to the beautiful complexity of God’s creation through artistic modes of your choice. Craft supplies, paper, pens, will be provided. Contact Kath Hubbard for further information: kfh20b@gmail.com.