Dear Faith Family,
A few weeks ago, we introduced fasting into our individual and collective faith family rhythms. For most of us, fasting was either an unpracticed or so rarely practiced habit of faith that it felt like something totally new. Despite our limited experience, I have been so encouraged and impressed by how you have dove into the heart of fasting thus far together!
Fasting is not mechanical. It does not guarantee a predictable result like a mathematical equation, nor are there particular fasting inflections that ensure the incantation "works." No, fasting is a whole-body response that, over time, aligns or syncs up our hearts, minds, souls, and bodies with our heavenly Father. It's a way for our entire being to be with Jesus in particular sacred moments, which in turn, helps us be together in ways that honor God and each other.
While I am excited that we are learning to fast together, I realize that our efforts to add a new habit come when those resolutions many of us made last month are starting to falter--and so is our resolve to keep good, basic habits!
If that's you today (and if it isn't you today, it probably will be on another day!), I want to encourage you to think small. We're doing this with fasting. Encouraging fasting just once a week for three weeks and keeping up the habit for a few weeks more until Easter if you're up for it. You can apply the same thinking to our faith's basic habits that keep us in-step with Jesus: scripture, prayer, and worship.
If nine weeks into the new year, you feel the culturally normative fatigue in mind, body, and spirit, where it seems easier not to do the good things that require more effort than you have the energy, then think small.
Each morning, simply pray the Lord's Prayer (Matt. 6:9-13) while washing your face, brushing your teeth, or while in the shower.
On Saturday morning (or your day off work), with a cup of coffee or tea in hand, reflectively read a Jesus story, and then
on Sunday morning, worship with your faith family.
While "more" will be both required and desired to live fully in Jesus, these small habits will sustain in seasons where we feel we cannot do "more." And the incredible thing, at least in my experience, is that the small habits always lead me back to both the desire and strength for more.
Love you, faith family! Praying God's blessing over you this week.