I once heard a story...

There was a gentleman that stopped going to church. Many people speculated as to why. Some thought that he was too busy to attend. Some thought that he was angry with God and others knew that he was really just angry with the pastor!

One member did talk with him but the approach was not very comforting. “Why aren’t you coming to church?” Finally, the pastor made a call.

The gentlemen opened the door and the pastor stepped into the sparse yet friendly home. Without speaking, they sat by the fire. For many hours they watched the fire burn. Then the pastor made a bold move, taking a stick and separating one log from the burning fire. It didn’t take much time for the separated log to turn from bright red to black and almost cold. Just before the log went totally out, the pastor pushed the log back into the roaring fire and it quickly reignited. They sat there quietly for quite some time.

Then the gentleman said, “Pastor, you’ve made your point, I’ll see you Sunday.”

Wherever you’ve been, we’ve missed you. I hope you’re OK and if you need a call (or a push), just let Pastor Fetter or I know!

Pastor Lynnae

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Fasting and Prayer

“Blow the trumpet in Zion;
Sound the alarm on my holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
For the day of the LORD is coming, it is near –
A day of darkness and gloom,
A day of clouds and thick darkness!
Like blackness spread upon the mountains
A great and powerful army comes;
Their like has never been from of old,
Nor will be again after them in ages to come.” —Joel 2:1-2

The Old Testament lesson assigned to Ash Wednesday has Joel calling the people by the blowing of a trumpet to a fast. The Prophet Joel sees the recent ‘bad luck’ of the people as being a direct reflection upon their refusing to follow God, most especially in their worship practices.

I once was at an Ethiopian meal with a group of immigrants. One woman was ‘fasting’ and so she was eating only bread and fruit, maybe some vegetable greens. Being confused by her definition of a ‘fast’ I questioned her. “What does a fast mean to you?” This pious and faithful Christian woman from Ethiopia, who had struggled greatly to come to America and try to start a new life answered, “A fast is when you refuse to eat that which the rich people eat.” I loved that.

My idea of a fast was when you denied yourself. It was a physical fast that, hopefully ends up being a lesson to yourself about your reliance upon God. There are many different understandings of a fast in the Bible. Many times it meant a different diet, but not wholly
denying any sustenance. Always, always, always ‘fasting’ goes hand in hand with prayer. I believe prayer is an active communication. I believe that prayer or communicating with God leads to great and humble acts of faith. This Ethiopian woman gave me a new understanding of fasting. Her fasting was not showy or self centered. It was a statement that aligned her with Jesus, the champion of the poor.

Lent is a time to blow the trumpet. It is a time to sound the alarm about the ways in which we are not covenantal people. It is a time to reflect upon the ways of Jesus and the ways of society. It is a time to fast. Whatever fast you may take on, may it reflect your choice to follow Jesus, for the day of the Lord is coming near!

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