The Journey of Fasting

We are in a really interesting journey through the book by the prophet Zephaniah.

He goes through a series of things, ideas and values that the people in Judah and the surrounding lands were hoping would preserve and save them.

Self made saviors.

Thankfully we have evolved over the last 2700 years and don't turn to things, ideologies or values (or people or nations or ______) to save us. (#sarcasm)

So we're inviting C3 to join us in fasting from some potential self made saviors.

Fasting has been practiced throughout our story as the people of God. People seeking God's face. I've heard that part of the gift of the discipline of fasting is that we say no to things that we can say no to now, so that later on we can say no to the things we can't say no to right now. It builds up our dependence on God.

So last week we kicked it off with a church wide fast from food for 24 hours, praying and asking God to move.

This week, we're inviting everyone to fast from wealth building. Jesus cautioned over and over about the danger of serving two masters and storing up treasures here where moth and rust destroy. The idea is that for the month of November, whatever you'd save for car or housing or 401ks or vacation or a PS4 or college funds or retirement or ___________, you don't save for a month and you give it away where you see God at work.

It's been funny to watch people's reactions to the invitation to fast. The week we are inviting people to fast from screens happens to be the week of a big football game. People were upset. The week we invite people to eliminate spending/shopping happens to be the week of Black Friday. People were upset.

Maybe that is exactly the point. Where you get most defensive and upset might indicate some treasure and heart things.

The invitation to spend time seeking God rather than the things that keep us comfortable and complacent is hitting a nerve for many of us. I hate it and love it all together.

Join us and see what God does.

Change starts here.