The Traditional Path: Fasting from Food

If you have participated in Lent before, this is probably the type of fast you have experienced. When the Bible talks about fasting, it is referring to a food fast.

Jesus fasted in the desert for 40 days before starting his earthly ministry, but he also had a lot of experience and knowledge about fasting before starting that journey. So, it is probably not a good idea to give up food, period, for 40 days.

Dietary Restrictions:

There are lots of different ways that you can participate in a food fast for Lent. 

It is probably not a good idea to give up food, period, for 40 days. That kind of fast is very extreme and will probably be less helpful and possibly more harmful, long term. We do recommend modifying your daily diet in a way that is personally challenging for you.

This path will focus on removing unncessary sugars from our diet. This is designed for folks who have an undeniable sweet tooth (or even a sugar addiction) and want to put down the sugar and pick up God’s word and become more attuned to the Holy Spirit. Our goal is to turn our cravings and desire toward God and seek him first as Comforter, Healer, Provider and Companion.

But, ultimately, the choice is yours! Tip: If there is an area surrounding food that you feel like you are particularly weak in, this might be a good opportunity to go “cold turkey” - unless you are giving up meat, in which case any kind of turkey is probably a bad idea.

Define your own boundaries, and then stick to them. Your choices should, overall, make you healthier: (In other words, this kind of fast should not be an excuse to eat french fries or ramen every day of the week!) If you are giving up something with some dietary benefit, like the proteins in meat, be sure to use caution and supplement your protein intake in other ways.

Roadblocks to look out for:

You are probably going to feel your emotions fluctuate the first several times you tell yourself “no”. You might be hangry. You might have cravings that every ounce of your flesh just wants to surrender to. The important thing is to stop, recognize those bodily sensations, and pray through it. Take that hunger as a signal to stop and refocus on God. 

BE PROACTIVE:

It is likely that no matter what kind of diet you have chosen to do, you will have more time than you are used to, either that you used to spend going out to eat, or preparing meals, or maybe you are spending more time in the kitchen meal-prepping to get ready for the week. Be intentional about using that time productively. Find a few podcasts or listen to an audio book while you are meal-prepping, or take your lunch break to read through a Bible plan.

Refocusing on God:

Whenever this fast changes a normal habit, take that opportunity to have a real, authentic conversation with God. It might feel weird, chatting with God as you chop up some fresh veggies, but with time it will become more natural and may even become a long term habit. 

Breaking the Fast:

Once a week, we hope that you will intentionally share a meal with someone from Area 10 - This meal does not have to be compliant with your selected fasting restrictions. Rather than focusing on the fast, it’s a way to refocus on relationship.

Share a Meal with those on the journey:

This fasting group will share a potluck meal together at 2810: a community gathering place on March 25th at 6pm. A perfect potluck link will be sent out closer to the date, but the sign up form will help ensure that there are options for everyone to enjoy, regardless of what kind of diet you have chosen to participate in.

Sign Up Now:

Are you ready to sign up to follow The Traditional Path for Lent?

Signing up will allow that pathway’s leader to reach out with helpful tips and resources, related articles, and coordinate the community meal. Regardless of which lenten pathway you decide to take, we want you to sign up at the link below:

Want to check out the other pathways? Check out the details of The Sustainable Path (fasting from stuff) and The Analog Path (fasting from technology) before making you final Lenten Pathway decision.