Not only am I skipping lunch this week, but I'm experiencing probably the coldest week I've ever felt in Sonoma County.
The plan for my fast was to help me think more about people who go without food, but I've found myself also more aware of the fact that so many people are without shelter.
I am aware that there are people living without shelter around the world, but what has really gotten to me this week is that if I was homeless, I would choose to live in a place like Santa Rosa, where it gets cold, but only freezes a handful of times each year. So an abnormally cold week like this one does matter.
I'm learning to be more thankful for the essentials: food, shelter, water.
God, help me to remember what I'm learning. I want to actually mean what I say when I pray before a meal and thank you for providing food. Don't let me forget what it feels like to be cold, hungry, or both. I know I've only experienced a small taste of what others feel for weeks or years at a time.
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Monday, December 07, 2009
Fasting Day 1: Culture, Justice, Gluttony, and Football
This week, our church is spending some time fasting. I'm fasting from lunch every day to spend time reflecting on what God has provided for me and to pray for people who go without food. I don't like talking about it when I fast. In Matthew 6:16-18, Jesus tells us to fast in secret.
But, as we fast as a church, it's my role to lead the group of people who are fasting from lunch all week, and one of the points of communal fasting is to be able to encourage one another and grow closer together as we fast. So, for the next few days, I'll be sharing my thought on what I'm experiencing.
Last time I did a week-long fast from lunch, I just did it on the weekdays. This week, I decided to start on Sunday.
So, as I sat and watched football after church, I lamented the fact that I couldn't snack on chips or cookies while I watched the game.
That really says something about how I have bought into American culture. Sitting on the couch, watching football on a cold day, and snacking. That's a pretty great Sunday afternoon in December for many American men.
But, I couldn't snack. It bugged me. I thought to myself, "Why did you start the fast today? That was stupid! You could be eating chips and drinking soda, but instead, you're hungry."
I realized that I have become accustomed to what my culture says is normal. It's normal to eat junk food all afternoon once a week for 16 weeks out of the year.
Is this the way we're supposed to live? I recently read a book that pointed out that as Americans, we have all sorts of new diseases that are specific to our culture. Everyone else around the world deals with things like malnutrition, anemia, dysentery, and things that stem from lack of food.
In America, the land of plenty, we die from things like obesity, heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, and other things that stem from having too much. You could throw in things like liver disease and alcoholism (and all related accidents) because we can afford booze.
God knows what's best for each of us. And that means He also knows what's good for our bodies. Fasting accomplishes many things. For one, it causes us to become more aware of the fact that we've been duped by culture. Our culture has made it normal to be gluttons. It's amazing that we don't ever talk about the sin of gluttony. Just as one can sin sexually by enjoying sex out of the context God made it for (marriage), one can sin through enjoying food out of the context God meant it for--when we eat to pass the time or to deal with issues or just because it's available, we have made food into a god.
Yet, most people around the world don't have enough food. 3 billion people on earth (about half of the world's population) live on less than $3 per day. Every day, 16,000 children die of starvation--that's one every 5 seconds(source).
Is this fair? Is this just?
The odd thing is that if we actually chose to live a just, fair life, we would solve many of the health issues of the poor and the rich. By fasting, we don't get to snack on artery-clogging junk food all day, and we save money that we can give to the poor. It's really a win for God, a win for the poor, and win for ourselves.
But too often, we choose to go with our culture, instead of following the Apostle Paul's exhortation in Romans 12:1-2 to no longer conform to our culture, but to be transformed.
______________________________________
Lord, I confess that I have become independent--I have ceased being dependent on you for my daily bread. I have conformed to the pattern of this world, instead of following the example of Jesus, who denied himself in order to benefit those in need.
Just as Jesus set aside His spiritual richness to save the poor in Spirit, help me to set aside my own plenty so that I have more to give those in need.
But, as we fast as a church, it's my role to lead the group of people who are fasting from lunch all week, and one of the points of communal fasting is to be able to encourage one another and grow closer together as we fast. So, for the next few days, I'll be sharing my thought on what I'm experiencing.
Last time I did a week-long fast from lunch, I just did it on the weekdays. This week, I decided to start on Sunday.
So, as I sat and watched football after church, I lamented the fact that I couldn't snack on chips or cookies while I watched the game.
That really says something about how I have bought into American culture. Sitting on the couch, watching football on a cold day, and snacking. That's a pretty great Sunday afternoon in December for many American men.
But, I couldn't snack. It bugged me. I thought to myself, "Why did you start the fast today? That was stupid! You could be eating chips and drinking soda, but instead, you're hungry."
I realized that I have become accustomed to what my culture says is normal. It's normal to eat junk food all afternoon once a week for 16 weeks out of the year.
Is this the way we're supposed to live? I recently read a book that pointed out that as Americans, we have all sorts of new diseases that are specific to our culture. Everyone else around the world deals with things like malnutrition, anemia, dysentery, and things that stem from lack of food.
In America, the land of plenty, we die from things like obesity, heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, and other things that stem from having too much. You could throw in things like liver disease and alcoholism (and all related accidents) because we can afford booze.
God knows what's best for each of us. And that means He also knows what's good for our bodies. Fasting accomplishes many things. For one, it causes us to become more aware of the fact that we've been duped by culture. Our culture has made it normal to be gluttons. It's amazing that we don't ever talk about the sin of gluttony. Just as one can sin sexually by enjoying sex out of the context God made it for (marriage), one can sin through enjoying food out of the context God meant it for--when we eat to pass the time or to deal with issues or just because it's available, we have made food into a god.
Yet, most people around the world don't have enough food. 3 billion people on earth (about half of the world's population) live on less than $3 per day. Every day, 16,000 children die of starvation--that's one every 5 seconds(source).
Is this fair? Is this just?
The odd thing is that if we actually chose to live a just, fair life, we would solve many of the health issues of the poor and the rich. By fasting, we don't get to snack on artery-clogging junk food all day, and we save money that we can give to the poor. It's really a win for God, a win for the poor, and win for ourselves.
But too often, we choose to go with our culture, instead of following the Apostle Paul's exhortation in Romans 12:1-2 to no longer conform to our culture, but to be transformed.
______________________________________
Lord, I confess that I have become independent--I have ceased being dependent on you for my daily bread. I have conformed to the pattern of this world, instead of following the example of Jesus, who denied himself in order to benefit those in need.
Just as Jesus set aside His spiritual richness to save the poor in Spirit, help me to set aside my own plenty so that I have more to give those in need.
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Update on the tree farm
I've posted a few blogs about how my little backyard tree farm is doing (Here's the first post). To be honest, my green thumb has been hiding for a few months, as I haven't watered my plants or even had to mow the field at church for awhile. It's great having a lot of volunteers to help out there. I'm sure I'll be involved with that stuff in the future, but the weeds aren't growing too fast right now.
I figured I better post some last 2009 pictures though, since I'm sure my trees are about to lose their leaves/die due to the cold weather coming.
As usual, you can click on the pictures and see bigger versions.
This shot has the Avocado, the Silver Maple (the smallest one), and both Japanese Maples that I dug up at my parents' house in March or April.
And that last shot is of the Japanese Maple I dug up at my grandparents' house over the summer. It was dead, but came back. The dead leaves ended up getting a little bit green again, but those are the leaves that are currently reddish. Oddly, the other Japanese Maples around here are pretty much leafless, but my baby trees are still just starting to experience fall.
I figured I better post some last 2009 pictures though, since I'm sure my trees are about to lose their leaves/die due to the cold weather coming.
As usual, you can click on the pictures and see bigger versions.
This shot has the Avocado, the Silver Maple (the smallest one), and both Japanese Maples that I dug up at my parents' house in March or April.
And that last shot is of the Japanese Maple I dug up at my grandparents' house over the summer. It was dead, but came back. The dead leaves ended up getting a little bit green again, but those are the leaves that are currently reddish. Oddly, the other Japanese Maples around here are pretty much leafless, but my baby trees are still just starting to experience fall.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
