many people have asked me what's the deal with fasting during lent
do you have to fast during lent? no
do you have to fast as a Christian? seems pretty standard to Jesus in sermon on mount
what is fasting? i've seen it as the voluntary abstaining from some good thing... or dramatically reducing your intake of some good thing (examples are endless: i've known people to give up chocolate, ice cream, meat, tv, etc OR to reduce portion sizes or internet time, et al)
WHY? This is the biggie. Fasting that is done to manipulate God or make you feel religious is worthless, literally. Fasting that is a physical expression of the heart cry: "God, I want more of you! I'm so quick to pacify myself and numb my longings and i want to stop. Let every desire (for these good things i'm fasting from)point me to you as the giver of that good thing and make me long for you and the coming of your Kingdom the way that i long for this thing I'm saying no to temporarily.
Now, Sundays are different. My understanding from an Anglican friend is... you are not allowed to abstain or be moderate on Sunday. Sunday is our taste of heaven and there we shall feast on every good thing. The resurrection is re-celebrated each Lord's Day and you just can't not (double negative purposeful) party.
All of this is based on church tradition and some are against it just because of that. Whatever YOU do... do it all to the glory of God.
tomorrow i'll put up some resources on fasting
