As we continue in our journey together through the Advent season, a second practice that can help increase our longing and hunger for God is the discipline of fasting. “Fasting.” Just hearing the word can make us tighten up. Some of us feel guilt. Others become defensive or even angry. It’s a practice many of us have heard is probably a good thing and yet few of us engage it with any regularity. Why is this practice so foreign? Why is it so difficult? Why do we run from it and then justify our avoidance of it? Why can’t we see the gift behind this discipline? Richard Foster, in The Celebration of Discipline, reflects, “Why has the giving of money, for example, been unquestionably recognized as an element in Christian devotion and fasting so disputed? Certainly we have as much, if not more, evidence from the Bible for fasting as we have for giving. Perhaps in our affluent society fasting involves a far larger sacrifice than the giving of money.” While there may be no direct command in the New Testament for the Church to fast, the words of Jesus in Matthew 6 appear to imply that all of His disciples will engage in this practice. “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward” (verse 16). Notice He says, when you fast. His assumption is that his followers will fast. Following this assumption, Jesus is teaching us that our motives are what’s really important when practicing fasting. If we’re looking for praise or some kind of religious trophy, we might receive that—but it’s all we’ll receive. Jesus offers a better way: “But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (verses 17-18). He is not saying we must avoid others’ knowledge of our fasting at all costs. The Bible is full of examples of corporate fasting (Acts 13 and 14, Esther 4, 2 Samuel 1, etc.). He is, however, concerned with why we’re fasting. He wants our hearts. He wants us to be focused on Him above all else. He wants to give us a reward that can’t fade or be stolen from us. So, despite our potentially-mixed bag of motives, we go together before God to engage with this practice. We want to put God first. Or, we want to want to put God first. We deny ourselves food to discipline our body, soul, and spirit and say that God is more important to us than food—than anything. Below are a few ideas for best-practices and questions to consider for individuals, households, and Gospel Communities:

INDIVIDUALS

We’re inviting everyone in the church body to practice fasting on Wednesdays during Advent (December 4, 11, and 18). If you missed last week, that’s okay! Set a reminder for this upcoming Wednesday (or Tuesday evening) to join us. What exactly is fasting? David Mathis defines fasting as “voluntarily going without food—or any other regularly enjoyed, good gift from God–for the sake of some spiritual purpose.” Some people, for medical reasons or otherwise*, can’t fast from physical food but that doesn’t mean they’re excluded. Many have found that fasting from social media, Netflix, particular activities or foods has shown itself to be a helpful way of intentionally engaging with God. Fasting ultimately is about refraining from one thing that we might engage more intentionally with another, namely God. Sam Storms comments: “The ironic thing about fasting is that it really isn’t about not eating food. It’s about feeding on the fullness of every divine blessing secured for us in Christ. Fasting tenderizes our hearts to experience the presence of God. It expands the capacity of our souls to hear his voice and be assured of his love and be filled with the fullness of his joy. Let me say it again: Fasting is not primarily about not eating food. It is primarily about feasting on God.” Take a moment before Wednesday to prayerfully consider how you might engage well with God through this practice. Many will choose to go without food for breakfast and lunch. Others will skip one meal or go the entire 24-hours only consuming water (or maybe a cup of coffee). There isn’t a hard and fast rule here; the end goal is to increase relationship with God and ask Him to increase our desire for Him. One healthy practice is to use the time you would’ve spent preparing and eating food to actually stop and pray! We can miss the point if we simply work through the lunch hour to keep our minds distracted from our hunger. Use the questions below to guide your time in prayer. Many of us will feel some negative emotions and attitudes rise when we go without the food that our bodies are used to. This is normal and can actually be a gift from God. It is often being revealed what is inside us all along – weakness, dependence, anger, greed, etc. We often use good gifts like food to cope and cover up our inadequacies without even realizing it. Take these emotions before God in prayer, and give yourself grace for these feelings that certainly don’t seem very “spiritual.”

*A note to those who choose to abstain from something other than food: You may decide that fasting from food is not a good idea because of a medical condition or because you are pregnant or nursing. Others may have an eating disorder or unhealthy relationship with food or body image, and this may not be a practice to try at this time. That’s okay! We’d encourage you to ask yourself before God, “What’s a good gift that I could give up temporarily in order to help train my heart to long for God more than His gifts?” Otherwise, perhaps now is a time to pursue healing and hunger for God in some other way. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your Gospel Community Leaders or a staff member if you need help walking through this.

Questions for individuals to consider or journal about outside the time of silence:

• What are some things I hunger for or look forward to more than God?
• Why am I hesitant or resistant to fasting?
• How might my relationship to food or other good gifts be an indicator of what I long for?
• What do I long for God to do in my heart through fasting?
• What do I long for God to do in my community and my church through fasting?
• What are some negative emotions, attitudes, and feelings that rise in me while fasting? Bring those before God, asking for forgiveness, healing, and dependence on Him.
• Pray through this week’s confession of sin here.

HOUSEHOLDS

For families with small children, this practice may not be possible to engage with all together. Depending on the ages of your children, you may be able to choose one thing to give up together on Wednesdays like dessert or screen-time. Read through the “Individuals” category above and decide if you may be able to cast vision for your whole family to practice a form of fasting together. You may phrase it something like, “We wish we wanted God more than dessert, but usually we don’t. Tonight, we’re choosing to pray and ask Him to be happy with His presence instead of eating dessert, and thank Him that many days we do get to enjoy it.” Again, if possible, spend time praying together in the same time-slot you would have been engaging in whatever activity you’re abstaining from. Use the questions below to guide discussion or prayer time together. For spouses and housemates, read through the “Individuals” category above and decide if you want to practice fasting together in the same manner. You may choose to keep each other accountable to practicing it (regardless of whether you practice it in the same way). Again, if possible, spend time praying together in the same time-slot you would have been preparing and eating food. Use the questions below to guide discussion or prayer time together.

Questions for kids and families to consider:

• What is fasting?
• Why does it sound hard?
• Why could fasting a good thing?
• What is a good thing we could give up for one day (or half-day) to spend time with God and ask Him to help us love Him more than anything else?

Pray that God would help us want Him more than anything else. He is the best thing for us!

Questions for housemates or spouses to consider:

• What are some things we hunger for or look forward to more than God?
• Why are we hesitant or resistant to fasting?
• How might our relationship to food or other good gifts be an indicator of what we long for?
• How might fasting actually be a good gift for us?
• How can we help each other engage in fasting during Advent?
• What do we want God to do in ourselves, our families, or our households through fasting? Take these answers to God in prayer.

Pray that God would increase our hunger, dependence, and desire for Him in this season.

GOSPEL COMMUNITIES

A few encouragements for this week’s meeting. Like last week, at the beginning of your time together, set a timer for 2 minutes to engage in silence as a group. Encourage everyone to breathe slowly and think about Psalm 46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God.” Afterward, read Luke 2:22-38 together and feel free to ask some of the questions below. If time permits, read Acts 13:1-3 or Luke 18:9-14 and discuss these passages. Because we’re stretching our prayer lives during this season, make sure to prioritize spending time in prayer together when you gather. If fitting, end your time in a couple minutes of silence as well.

Questions for Gospel Communities

• What is compelling about the life of Anna in Luke 2:36-38?
• What does it mean to worship with fasting and prayer (Luke 2:37)?
• Why is fasting so difficult? Why might you be hesitant or resistant to this practice?
• How might fasting actually be a good gift for us?
• What is your experience with fasting? Has anyone had a positive experience they’d like to share?
• For those who fasted recently, how did it go? How did it affect your soul? Emotions? Attitude?
• Read Acts 13:1-3 and discuss together. What is compelling about this passage?
• Read Luke 18:9-14 and discuss the passage. What is compelling, convicting, or comforting about this passage?
• What would you like to see God do through the practice of fasting in your life?

Spend time praying together that God would increase our hunger for Him as a church, above all other desires.

Listen to Advet Week One Sermon Advent is traditionally a season marked by anticipation and waiting. Silence is one of the ways we can cultivate this practice in our lives. In Exodus 14, when the Israelites face the Red Sea in front of them and an army of Egyptians behind them, God’s command for His people is not to turn and fight, to build boats, or even to labor in prayer & sacrifice. Instead, God says, “The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent” (verse 14). It’s a plot twist. It’s counterintuitive. We’ve trained ourselves to think that the only way to make progress in any situation is to use our own strength, our own words, our own passion, our own intellect. And sometimes God, in His kindness by His Spirit, fuels our efforts to make progress. But we often fail to remember that everything was, is, and always will be held in His sovereign hands. Apart from Him, we can do absolutely nothing (John 15:5). It’s too easy to forget that He is God and we are not. Our culture, our enemy, and our flesh are constantly bombarding us with messages that either distort this truth or distract us from this truth. Lies. Noise. Busyness. Hurry. How can we possibly rewire our hearts? Sometimes we need to start by stopping. Stop working for a moment. Turn off the noise. Breathe slowly. Sometimes we, like the Psalmists, need to “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Enjoy His presence. Remember His love. Meditate on His kindness. Remember that we are not in control, and that’s a good thing. Below we’ve provided a handful of practices and questions to help us engage with the “Prayer of Silence” as individuals, families, and communities.

INDIVIDUALS

During the season of Advent, we’ve asked that you aim to stretch your daily prayer life in some way. For some, this may mean setting an alarm twice a day to stop and pray for ten minutes. Others may want to begin each morning praying The Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 6:9–13). Still others may want to commit their entire lunch hour to prayer. Regardless of how you’ve decided to engage in prayer this season, this week our practice is to challenge ourselves to begin and end our prayer times with silence before God. Our suggestion is to set a timer for two minutes before and after your time of prayer and sit in stillness and quiet. Pete Scazzero writes this on practicing silence:

All religions practice silence. What makes silence unique for us is that we are silent before the Lord himself. This will be difficult, especially at first. Our internal and external worlds are filled with noise and distractions. For this reason, silence is probably the most challenging and least experienced discipline among Christians today. Give yourself lots of grace here. Studies suggest that the average person or group can only bear fifteen seconds of silence.

Simple enough? It may be more difficult than it seems. Let’s aim to prioritize silence this week together:

Questions for individuals to consider or journal about outside the time of silence:

• Where have I been looking for consolation (comfort, satisfaction, progress) outside of the presence of God? Which “temples” do I run to (consumerism, recreation, avoidance, etc.)?
• How could I orient my life, rhythms, habits, and heart to turn toward the presence of God instead of these other temples?
• How can I be intentional during this season of Advent to focus on what matters most?
• How am I longing for God to move in my life? Sit with Him quietly, knowing He knows the longings of your heart.
• Pray through this week’s confession of sin here.

HOUSEHOLDS

Because every household and family has different rhythms, schedules, and capacities, we won’t place any regulations on how to engage with this practice together. However, our encouragement is once again to stretch your home’s current rhythm of prayer during this season. Some may want to begin or end the day with a couple minutes of prayer together. Others may choose to pray at the end of the school day or for a few minutes after dinner. Once again, this week, if possible, invite others into a minute or two of silence as part of your daily prayer time. For those with younger kids, we know this will be a challenging practice! Read Psalm 46:10 beforehand: “Be still, and know that I am God…” and remind yourselves that God is present with you in the room. Remember that the goal here is not to add more to your day, but actually to slow down and make the most of our days with God. Another idea for families is to sing or listen to “Take a Moment” by Will Reagan together, followed by a few moments of quiet to think about who Jesus is.

Questions for kids and families to consider:

• What is the season of Advent all about?
• How can we help each other remember this together?
• What’s something you hope God will do in your life?

Questions for housemates or spouses to consider:

• Where does my tend to run for comfort and satisfaction?
• How can we help each other run toward God in this season? What habits can we cultivate?
• What rhythm of prayer can we actively pursue during Advent?

GOSPEL COMMUNITIES

A few encouragements for our Gospel Communities this week: At the beginning of your time together, set a timer for 2 minutes to engage in silence together. Encourage the group to breathe slowly and think about Psalm 46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God.” Afterward, read Luke 2:22–32 together. Feel free to ask some of the questions below. Because we’re stretching our prayer lives individually during this season, make sure to prioritize spending time in prayer together when you gather. If fitting, end your time in a couple minutes of silence as well.

Questions for Gospel Communities

• What is compelling about the life of Simeon in Luke 2? What stands out?
• How do you usually feel during and after the holiday season? More present, grounded, and centered? Exhausted, chaotic, frantic, and distracted?
• How can you orient this season around the presence of God instead of other things?
• How can we as a community keep each other accountable to remember what’s most important this season?
• How often do you spend time in silence? Why is it so difficult for us to be silent?

HUNGRY FOR THE PRESENCE OF GOD

As the holidays are quickly approaching, we find ourselves in a season marked by so much potential for good and for engagement with God and others. However, we can also find some unintended guests joining us at the table: consumerism, distraction, busyness, debt, and even loneliness. What if we considered beforehand what we wanted to see God do in this time and then sought to orient our days and practices to shape us in the ways we want to be shaped; to cultivate holy longings?

We believe the season of Advent can help us do just this. Advent, which marks the beginning of the Christian Calendar, officially starts four Sundays before Christmas. This year it runs from December 1-24. It both looks ahead to Christ’s second Advent where He will return as a triumphant King doing away fully and finally with sin and death, and looks back to remember His first Advent as a humble baby two thousand years ago. Because we live “between Advents,” this is a season marked by expectation, longing, and hopeful waiting. It calls the Church to live in the gratitude of the “already” of what Christ has already accomplished, but it also teaches us to groan in the “not yet” as we await the return of our King.

This year, we’ll be looking at the life, practices, and longings of Simeon and Anna in Luke 2. We hope to learn from their affections and longings for all they can teach us in this season! We pray that God would powerfully use Advent at Park Church to increase our longing for Jesus and love for His kingdom through a couple events and practices.

TWO PRACTICES:

1. Daily Prayer
   Whether you have a rich prayer life or haven’t prayed in years, we’re asking you to consider how you might stretch your prayer life during this season. For some, it may look like starting every morning saying The Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 6:9-13). For others, it may mean spending an hour in prayer each day, spending 10 minutes during each lunch break in prayer, etc. The goal isn’t to get prayer “right,” it’s to grow in intentional time with Jesus during this season. One helpful resource to encourage daily prayer is “Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day” and is available at the Info Table for $10.
2. Weekly Fasting
   We’re also asking that each person consider fasting from something on Wednesdays during Advent (December 4, 11, and 18) with the goal of increasing our hunger for God. Again, this is a discipline to help train our hearts; it has nothing to do with earning favor from God. Some may fast from food (all day or just lunch, for example). Others may fast from technology like social media or Netflix. Take a moment beforehand to ask God, “What might I give up on Wednesdays to increase my hunger for you?”

Click Advent 2019 Weekly Guides below to find our weekly materials and more resources.

Advent 2019 Weekly Guides

TWO EVENTS:

1. Advent Hymn Sing
   Thursday, December 12 • 6:30–7:30pm
   Join us for an evening of singing through beloved Advent and Christmas hymns together. Come early at 6:15pm for cookies! Kids are invited to wear their pajamas to the event. Childcare is not provided, as families are encouraged to worship together.
2. Christmas Eve Services
   Tuesday, December 24 • 4 and 6pm
   We gather on Christmas Eve for an hour-long service. We’ll sing together, read through the story of Christ’s birth, and hear a short message. Childcare is not provided, as families are encouraged to worship together.