Episode 207: Spiritual Practices for a New Year, Part 3--Fasting

The practice of fasting is an odd duck--on the one hand, it might not seem like much fun to go without eating (or some other thing in our lives), no matter how long or short the fast might endure.  But on the other hand, fasting is an ancient practice used and known across religious traditions, and is one part of personal piety that Jesus assumes his followers will be doing in some form.  The Old and New Testament actually offer a wide variety of perspectives on fasting, from how it can be helpful for clarity and simplicty, to the ways we can misuse or misunderstand it if we make it into a matter of impressing God with our performed suffering.  So what's the idea behind fasting, why might anybody choose it as a practice for their faith-life, and what could it look like?  Join pastors and colleagues in ministry Erica, Sarah, and Steve around the table today for conversation in our series on spiritual practices for a new year, and explore with us how this could be a way of helping to get clarity, simplicity, and appreciation in our lives in the midst of a culture that is often drowning in noise, excess, and ingratitude.