Thursday, March 3, 2022

During Lent we will read devotions written by the people of Citrus Church. If you have not already done so, please consider writing a short devotional. Sign-up here.

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Bible Verse: “Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your hearts, with fasting, with weeping, and with sorrow;” Joel 2:12 CEB

Reflection: Fasting is something we don’t talk about a lot in our faith tradition anymore. However, our siblings in the early church chose to fast as an important part of their faith. For faith traditions who use the liturgical calendar, like we do, the main season of fasting for us today is the Lenten season, the time we as people of faith journey together toward the Resurrection. In fact, it is sometimes referred to as “The Great Fast.” You can choose to fast from a variety of things; in the past, I have taken this time to fast from social media, from caffeine, from meat, from television, and from other things. Regardless of the thing I choose to fast from, as I near the end of the forty-day Lenten journey, I tend to get hangry for that thing. I long for Easter to come in expectation of getting to experience it again. And when I’m craving something, I feel unsatisfied with anything else; I’m just uncomfortable…and waiting… I think that’s the point of fasting during Lent, to join in the uncomfort of the journey toward Cross and continue through the death of Jesus. Think of how Jesus’ followers experienced that first weekend leading up to Easter. The amount of grief and longing they experienced for the one they thought would set them free. The longer I go without something, the more I crave it; the more I crave that thing, the more I’m reminded of the importance of this season and the more I yearn for the celebration of Easter. It’s just so sweet to get to experience the thing I’ve gone without for forty days again. It makes Easter morning that much more exciting and joyful as I can literally put my hands on something I’ve been longing for and am reminded of just how much better life is with that thing I’ve been missing. Just like how life is so much better with Jesus in the world. So I hope you’re joining with me on this journey to fast as we move through this season together. Let’s hold space for each other to be hangry during this time and find room for encouragement as we journey together.

Contributor: Jon Atchison (he/they)