Open Question: What's YOUR take?
OK. So far, I've been doing all the talking. What about you? What are your thoughts or experiences with the desert discipline of fasting? Any insights or puzzlements you'd be willing to share with the rest of us? We fellow desert travelers are all ears!
Starving Your Inner Child? (Week 2, Reflection 1)
Like everyone, I have an inner child. And mine doesn't like to play by the rules. While I'm all nice and law-abiding on the outside, my inner child plays a headstrong game of hide-and-go-seek. He's looking for loopholes.
One of the Lenten loopholes he's found is this: fasting doesn't have to be literal. In other words there are plenty of things you can profitably fast from without disturbing your three square meals a day. That sort of non-food-related fasting is so valuable, in fact, we'll talk about it in the next post. But I still need to face down my inner child, who thinks he's pulled one over on God. "No need to actually go hungry, right?" he asks. "Not so fast, kid," I tell him. "Yes, we'll fast in creative ways this Lent. But we're also going to do some good old-fashioned fasting from food, as well!"
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Desert Disciplines: You can't have one without the other(s) (Week 2--Intro)
What is fasting all about, and why in the world someone would even think of doing it? We'll start with that question this week, and move on, in the weeks to follow, to each of the other desert disciplines.
But the very first order of business is to grab hold of one essential truth: the three desert disciplines work together. By all means, dive headlong into each one. But don't forget about the others, or you'll end up spiritually off-balance...
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Desert Disciplines (Week 1, Devotion 3)
“So when you give to the needy…”“And when you pray…”“When you fast…” (Matthew 6:2, 5, 16)
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What to Leave Behind? (Week 1, Devotion 2)
Search me, god, and know my heart;
Test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
Traveling Light (Week 1, Devotion 1)
“The son of man has no place to lay his head.” (Luke 9:58)
"Sell your possessions and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven.
Then come, follow me." (Matthew 19:21)
Following Jesus takes commitment. Although I gain everything by following the One who is the Lord of the universe, I must be ready to lose some things as well. Traveling into the desert means packing light...
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Into the Desert! (Week 1, Introduction)
But Jesus made a habit of spending time in the desert...
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