Lent

When I was young the Anglican Church had a tenuous hold on my life. I was told about Lent as being a time when you gave up something like chocolate or chewing gum. Fasting was never fully explained. Like many others I tried it for a week and gave up. I think fasting is one of the most misunderstood practices in the Christian Church. This is not meant as a swipe at the Church of England by the way. I come from a generally apostate generation.

One aspect of fasting is that we give up on some of the regular elements of our life to show our dependence on God for all provision. I feel sorry for those who can not thank God for the good things in life like food ( Give thanks in all circumstances 1 Thess. 5. 16 ) In this respect I think Harvest Festival that I remember from my Church of England days is a joyous reminder of God's provision.

I just came across this:

So far from making us look on food as a defilement, fasting has exactly the opposite effect. Only those who have learnt to control their appetites through abstinence can appreciate the full glory and beauty of what God has given to us. To one who has eaten nothing for twenty-four hours, an olive can seem full of nourishment. A slice of plain cheese or a hardboiled egg never tastes so good as on Easter morning, after seven weeks of fasting. Bishop Kallistos

I have one egg in my possession which I intend to enjoy it tomorrow. Happy fasting if you are!!