I grew up in a faith tradition where once per month the membership has a designated weekend when we undertake a fast, which is done individually and thus collectively. At the church meeting of that weekend, we get together and share testimonies of what we believe. We also are supposed to make a tithe donation of money for what we went without eating, normally two meals without food or drink.
Today is the culmination of that effort for myself, my wife, and my group. It is being done before the first Sabbath of April because we will have a larger General Conference as a church next weekend, which is attended or observed by the whole worldwide faith of those that participate.
Today we decided to fast with a prayer dedicated to the families bereaved related to the missing victims of the Malaysian air flight from over two weeks ago, the more recent victims of the mudslide of the Oso, Washington, town, and for our Grandpa Terry, survivor of the recent loss of his wife and my mother.
I am not sure at what age I began fasting. Prayer should always come with it, and I know there were times that I went without food and paid the tithing associated with it, but I may not have had a specific prayer attached to it.
That is something to focus on and practice better.
But now that I have been dealing with, practicing, trying to implement and conduct this practice for about three decades, I wanted to share a few points on how it works with me.
On days (Sundays) that I work, usually once per month, I do not fast. That is too hard. I try to make up for it the following Sunday, but I do not always get to do so.
I generally try not to drink water, but occasionally I feel my body needs that water.
I try to begin the fast the Saturday night before, with a prayer, with my family if possible.
Because I had my gall bladder removed in 2002, the last 12 years fasting has been a little more complicated than before. For this reason, I have to be prepared a little bit. Since the removal, if I go one or two meals without eating, I usually have a purging of my bowels, (pardon the wording), and therefore have to make it to a stool sometimes quickly after breaking the fast. There have been days when I worked later on the Sabbath, and that provides its own complications.
But things have gone all right, overall.
I believe that fasting in my life has helped me in many ways. But perhaps more importantly, I believe these actions have benefited others as well. The church has a system to physically help those with issues of no food or distress. And also spiritually, this collective action helps us come together and unite in better causes and efforts.
I wish more of the world could do things like this. I think it would benefit us all, both individually and on the aggregate.
But if you cannot do it physically for health or other reasons, you can still achieve solidarity with the intent. And donate your money to good causes to alleviate hunger or need.
Blog on.
EMC
Today is the culmination of that effort for myself, my wife, and my group. It is being done before the first Sabbath of April because we will have a larger General Conference as a church next weekend, which is attended or observed by the whole worldwide faith of those that participate.
Today we decided to fast with a prayer dedicated to the families bereaved related to the missing victims of the Malaysian air flight from over two weeks ago, the more recent victims of the mudslide of the Oso, Washington, town, and for our Grandpa Terry, survivor of the recent loss of his wife and my mother.
I am not sure at what age I began fasting. Prayer should always come with it, and I know there were times that I went without food and paid the tithing associated with it, but I may not have had a specific prayer attached to it.
That is something to focus on and practice better.
But now that I have been dealing with, practicing, trying to implement and conduct this practice for about three decades, I wanted to share a few points on how it works with me.
On days (Sundays) that I work, usually once per month, I do not fast. That is too hard. I try to make up for it the following Sunday, but I do not always get to do so.
I generally try not to drink water, but occasionally I feel my body needs that water.
I try to begin the fast the Saturday night before, with a prayer, with my family if possible.
Because I had my gall bladder removed in 2002, the last 12 years fasting has been a little more complicated than before. For this reason, I have to be prepared a little bit. Since the removal, if I go one or two meals without eating, I usually have a purging of my bowels, (pardon the wording), and therefore have to make it to a stool sometimes quickly after breaking the fast. There have been days when I worked later on the Sabbath, and that provides its own complications.
But things have gone all right, overall.
I believe that fasting in my life has helped me in many ways. But perhaps more importantly, I believe these actions have benefited others as well. The church has a system to physically help those with issues of no food or distress. And also spiritually, this collective action helps us come together and unite in better causes and efforts.
I wish more of the world could do things like this. I think it would benefit us all, both individually and on the aggregate.
But if you cannot do it physically for health or other reasons, you can still achieve solidarity with the intent. And donate your money to good causes to alleviate hunger or need.
Blog on.
EMC
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