F.A.S.T. 2016

2/14/2016

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Journeying Through the Gospel of John

Welcome to F.A.S.T. 2016! In the Christian tradition this season is called Lent which has to do with the season of Spring. This time is one that identifies with Jesus's testing period in the wilderness for forty days and forty nights. It is a time of solemnity and discipline before the Lord. The ways we live before God call for closer examination and discernment of spirits.

This year we will be journeying through the Gospel of John. Specifically, we will focus on the images that are prominent in the fourth gospel. There is no greater Christian symbol of our faith than the cross. We will seek to interpret and reflect on the cross as the image to make sense of all other images. May God our Father and the Son image their love for us by the power of the Holy Spirit so that we as a body may love one another fervently, committedly, and faithfully. Amen.

F.A.S.T…

… is an acronym meaning Fresh Attitudes Showing Trust. This is our prayer for the weeks ahead. May we all as the church be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Given this period is characterized by fasting, there will be certain things we will do together with an accountability partner. We will prayerfully consider fasting from one thing for 40 days. Coupling this, we will all have weekly items to fast from as listed below. And with this we will aim to fast from one meal a week as a way of devoting our energies to the Lord more fully.

Weekly Items to Fast From

Feb 14–Feb 20	Social media
Feb 21–Feb 27	Listening to music, whether at home, car, or from electronic devices
Feb 28–Mar 5	Spending money on non-essential things for survival
Mar 6–Mar 12	TV shows, Netflix, video games
Mar 13–Mar 19	Using caffeine, refined sugars, or stimulants of any variety
Mar 20–Mar 24	Consuming meat and shellfish