“DURING THE SEASON OF LENT…”
…Join Your Pastors for a “Wesleyan Fast” &
Pray for the Welfare of Our City.
What is the significance of Friday?
It’s the day Jesus was crucified, and particularly appropriate during the season of Lent.
When will the fast begin?
The first Thursday in Lent is February 15, and fasting concludes on Holy Thursday and Good Friday, March 29 and 30. Remember we share in the fast not by location, but through participation. Keep in mind that fasting is not meant to interrupt our lives, but to be a quiet, spiritual practice within routine activities.
Our prayer focus will be the welfare of our city.
By fasting together, we will share a common hope for our city. This is after all, Memorial’s home.
In our Sunday morning worship, during the Prayers of the People, we will take time to focus on the emphasis of the coming week.
February 15-16 The Schools represented in our congregation
February 22-23 Our City Fire Fighters
March 1-2 Our City Police
March 8-9 The Thomasville Medical Center: Hospital Staff
March 15-16 Our Elected Officials: Mayor and City Council
March 22-23 The Many Congregations and Pastors of Our City
March 29-30 Memorial United Methodist: Our Mission and Outreach to the Community
What is a fast?
A fast is abstaining from food as a spiritual discipline.
A complete fast is water only, and a no-solid-food fast allows for milk, coffee, and tea. Always fast in such a way that it does not compromise your health.
What are the benefits of fasting?
While there are many, here are four to keep in mind:
- Fasting reminds us that we are sustained by “every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Indeed, we discover that fasting sustains us.
- Through fasting, our spiritual sensitivity is heightened.
- By denying our hunger for a time, we become more intensely aware of our dependency on God.
- Essentially, fasting makes our prayer more powerful and can also help us hear God more clearly.
What is a “Wesley Fast”?
John Wesley observed a fast most Fridays, beginning at sundown on Thursday and ending at 3:00 PM on Friday afternoon with tea and light food. Some Christians go till sundown on Friday, a common practice among the early Methodist. Do whichever you feel led to in any given week, knowing that many in your church family are sharing the experience and praying with you.
Within Jewish tradition and for the early church the new day began at sundown, not midnight. Recall the creation story in Genesis, “And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.” The day begins at nightfall when we lay our heads down to rest, a good beginning for a fast.