{"id":73,"date":"2011-04-19T14:50:10","date_gmt":"2011-04-19T18:50:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/groot\/?p=73"},"modified":"2011-04-19T14:50:59","modified_gmt":"2011-04-19T18:50:59","slug":"fasting-and-praying","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/groot\/?p=73","title":{"rendered":"Fasting…and praying?"},"content":{"rendered":"

During this Lenten Season, we went to one of our Covenant Churches for Ash Wednesday Service and the challenge to the congregation was to fast from selfishness<\/strong>, and to do one kind deed daily (at a cost to our time, energy, or finances). \u00a0Andrew Wollitzer, our Berkeley Covenant pastor wrote us these reasons for fasting during Lent. \u00a0They “…\u00a0go back to the early church\u2019s practice of giving up for a season eating things that were expensive or luxurious so that A) they could prepare themselves for the great feast of Easter<\/strong>, and B) So that they should \u201cshift\u201d their lives for a season<\/strong> from the desire for ease and luxury (a desire I am sure we are all familiar with) to a focus on living in the life of Christ<\/strong>.\u00a0 The point was not suffering, but rather to change the patterns and focus of their lives towards simplicity and to examine themselves to see the ways in which their lives were not subjected to Christ\u2019s Kingdom, and to repent and seek His grace.<\/strong><\/p>\n

One lesson was a fast from sinful behavior and the other a fast from something precious in our lives. \u00a0Both are attempts at showing us our need to repent and to seek God’s grace; to realize once again why the cross was so necessary and for us to realize how much we need a Savior.<\/em><\/p>\n

This practice has been an amazing journey for me.\u00a0\u00a0God has indeed used this time to change my focus…<\/p>\n