"...when you fast..." - Jesus
Ahoy Church,
Our goal is that each of us be Fully Alive in Jesus. To encourage us in that, we have a simple model guiding us through the phases of apprenticeship to Jesus that we call FAM, the Fully Alive [discipleship] Model.
It's the beginning of a guide to help us learn about Jesus, lead others to him and teach the way of Jesus to those around us.
Much of FAM is super practical. We want people to know Jesus personally and to learn to pray out loud themselves. To be baptised. To lead groups of people in studying God's life-giving words in the Bible. Another way to describe any pathway to following Jesus is that it's physical. It requires our whole being (body, mind, soul and spirit) to follow after Jesus.
However, in our culture, it's a bit trendy to see faith as "spiritual". Many would consider faith as a private, personal matter - even invisible.
However, the Bible considers our body, our outer physical reality, very much a part of one unified being. This is why what we do with our bodies - speech, service, spending, sexual expression and more - matters. Our bodies express and participate with our internal being.
One physical act that Jesus modelled (Matthew 4:2)and affirmed is fasting. While some stories highlight the hypocrisy of people who fast for reputation, fasting is an entirely biblical and historical practice for Christians.
For myself, fasting results in a renewed clarity. I see issues more clearly. Uncover sin and weakness more easily. Understand the scriptures more simply. Yield to God's goodness more readily.
However beneficial fasting has been for me, I'm exploring something that may be far richer and more closely aligned with the biblical examples. In a good book I'm currently in the midst of, Fasting by Scot McKnight, the author describes fasting as the natural, inevitable response for a person to a grievous sacred moment in life. This rubbed me the wrong way, because it wasn't quite how I describe fasting.
In my youth, fasting was usually portrayed as something you did when you really needed something - healing, breakthrough, finances, etc. I'm being persuaded that my default concept of fasting contained some unintended, misguided expectations. While there is no prohibition on fasting alongside prayer for a miracle, this is not the most common biblical or historical example.
Rather than being a tool to get something from God, fasting is better used to give something to God - whether a sin, a grief, a burden or a need.
Rather than seeking a reward from God, fasting seeks rest in God.
Rather than using fasting to get out of a season, it may be best to invite God into a season.
I'm encouraging you to learn with me how to see fasting as a RESPONSE to something, not a REQUEST for something.
You may be very used to praying, pleading or interceding for God to meet your needs. Fasting invites us to consider, "If I really yearn for something, do I yearn enough to express that in my body?". Fasting invites us to wonder, "Am I really feeling grief, need, despair or joy? If so, do I feel it enough to use express it in my?"
The most obvious example is the death of a loved on. It's not uncommon for someone who is grieving to lose their appetite. It's as though meeting our physical needs is not as critical in a moment of deep grief. Often this state or mindset continues until the wake where we gather as a community not to fast but to feast. This rhythm of fasting and feasting is one that is, to the healthy and whole follower of Jesus, natural and inevitable.
This is because you and I are made in the image of God as fully integrated, with both internal and external realities. Both our internal and external parts are made to engage in prayer, worship and relationship with God, not just our internal "spiritual" parts.
We see this full engagement when Christians gather to sing songs of praise. You could hum or silently repeat the lyrics to yourself. But often we feel the need to sing the lyrics aloud from our heart. Sometimes that's not enough, and we start to really sing it with great exuberance, even swaying our bodies and tapping our toes. Sometimes that's not even enough, and we begin to clap, or raise our hands. Sometimes that's not enough either, and we cry out, jump, lie, kneel or otherwise do whatever seems appropriate to express to the living, creator God that our physical bodies want to praise him.
You could think of fasting similarly. Sometimes we have a need we pray about. Sometimes we ask for prayer. Sometimes we write our prayers down. Sometimes we shed tears over our situation or burdens in life. And sometimes it's right to express our internal yearnings through external means such as fasting.
Again, it's important to remember that unlike fasting in other secular and religious traditions, we are fasting as a response, not for a reward. It's the yearning of our heart before God, not the denial of our bodies, that is significant in seeing our prayers answered. Fasting is simply a full, all-of-life, embodied expression of our deepest yearnings for God. Fasting is a natural response to the sacred moments of grief and loss, repentance and rejoicing.
As I contemplate this new perspective on fasting, the scripture that comes to mind is, "It is more blessed to give than to receive", one of the teachings of Jesus that his followers came to treasure. It made me consider how I can begin to see fasting as giving my life, my situation, my hopes, my griefs and myself over to God. Rather than expecting that I can twist his arm, or earn favour, I can actually be reminded that whatever season or state I'm in, he is there with me. He has not forsaken me. No grief, sin or loss can leave me oustide of his presence.
Matthew 6:16-18
And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
You'll notice Jesus does say he'll "reward" you for secret fasting. This doesn't mean you get whatever you want, but that whenever you fast, you will be blessed by God. Obedience to God always results in blessing, one way or another.
So, would you consider fasting with us this term?
If you've never fasted, do some research, ask around, and ensure you're not in any medical danger.
What to fast?
The most common form of fasting is to go without food.
When to fast?
Most fasting in the Bible and Christian history is for short periods of 12 to 24 hours. You could fast from after your evening meal till lunch or dinner on the next day. You could start by simply not eating between breakfast and dinner.
How to start this term?
Other than educating yourself on fasting (you can read the scriptures, the book I mentioned, or from your favourite podcast/youtube preacher), I want to encourage you to this format for Term 3, 2026:
August
Choose one meal, one day of the week to fast each week. For example, fast 12 hours from after breakfast till dinner that evening.
September
Choose one day of the week to fast for 18 or 24 hours. Either dinner to lunch the next day, or dinner to dinner the next day
Why?
To follow Jesus' example of prayerfully bringing every sacred moment and yearning in our life to God; not for reward or outcome, but for a deeper participation with God in every season of life. To bring our whole body into agreement that all our trust is in God and all we have is his.
Much love, see you Sunday,
Dan
Coming Up
August - 9am [Home] + 3pm [Moffat]
Mondays - Young Adults - Marcello + Mariela 0428 986 423
Fridays - 6am Men's Prayer - Fred 0431 437 080
Aug 16 Sunday Gatherings: Home + Beach + Baptisms [Anyone?]
Aug 23 Sunday Gatherings: Home + Beach
Aug 30 Sunday Gatherings: Home + Beach
September - 9am [Home] + 3pm [Moffat]
Mondays - Young Adults - Marcello + Mariela 0428 986 423
Fridays - 6am Men's Prayer - Fred 0431 437 080
Sep 07 EHD: "Emotionally Healthy Relationships" Ends
Our Mission
To help people find and follow Jesus.
Our Vision
Fully Alive through faith in Jesus. To see this vision come to life, we developed FAM, our Fully Alive Model. Ideally, you can work through FAM with someone else.
Our Rhythms
Get to Know Jesus: how are you getting to know Jesus this week?
Invite people into your life: who can you intentionally open up your life to?
Gather and get involved: who can you connect, listen, share, or pray with this weekend?
Giving Up, In, and Out
Our church follows the same simple pattern of giving that we encourage each other individually: UP, IN, and OUT.
Giving UP
As a church, we give 2.5% to our denomination to support what's happening in churches like ours statewide and show appreciation for all the support they provide. We encourage each follower to consider giving "up" to support their local church - in this case ours :)
Giving IN
We give to personal/family needs within our church from our $5,000 Giving Kitty. Please alert us if you know someone with genuine needs that you're unable to meet out of your own resources.
Giving OUT
This term, we are encouraging our church to give to the family who visit us each year from the country where they share Jesus. We'll give to them as a church, and we encourage you to give to them too.
BSB: 923100
Account #: 37443010
REF: KyleG GIFT
Last month's giving: $11,459
Last month's expenses: $10,033
Balance: $68,377
Giving in : Oct 23-Jul 26: $5,000
Giving out : Oct 23-Jul 26: $20,293
"Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed." - Proverbs 19:17
If you would like to support what we are doing and our giving to those in need, you can get started giving to Open Road to meet the needs of our church or get in touch with any questions you may have.
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