Fasting: Yes? No? Sometimes?

[Sudsy]

I'm very curious why there isn't more discussion on fasting especially amongst Anabaptists. It would seem that it was a common early church practise and Anabaptists take other early church practises very seriously. Any thoughts on why this is ? Did one of the early Anabaptist leaders when Anabaptism first began in the 1500's play down this to not be considered as an ordinance ?

I found this interesting - https://www.anabaptistresources.org/en/ ... om-fasting

[Valerie]

In our world we are coming up on the season of Lent after Christmas. We have a number of days and rules to it, as with anything.

Do you and/or your fellowship practise fasting? Do you define it and designate a day?

Some of the passages that emerge in our readings during Lent are the following:
Philippians 3
17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Orthodox Christians also had a Nativity fast not quite as strict as lent fast. It's not "easy" to live out the Orthodox fasting year BUT they stress doing your best & not judging each other's fasting. Fasting is never talked about in the pulpit at Parkside but our Pastor is very slim so I don't think by example gluttony is an issue

[Josh]

I have worked alongside and even at one point was business partners with Orthodox people and have yet to see any kind of serious fasting, Valerie.

[Falco Knotwise]

I have worked alongside and even at one point was business partners with Orthodox people and have yet to see any kind of serious fasting, Valerie.

It’s probably the same in Catholic circles and nearly everywhere else, including Protestant ones. We’ve (not everyone, but probably most) have lost the meaning and practice of it.

Of course, you wouldn’t know about people’s private practices as that would be done in “their closets.” I think in private how much and when is one’s own personal decisions (unless you’re doing it guided by a confessor.) But if participation in publicly declared fasts and other fast days are an indication, then I suspect people have largely lost hold of these pious practices. Then again, this is just my personal impression. I could be wrong, I guess. But somehow I doubt most people fast twice a week anymore, for example.

My wife and I used to talk about what we were fasting from for Lent. It made Lent special that we both participated. Maybe we need to start that again.

[Valerie]

I have worked alongside and even at one point was business partners with Orthodox people and have yet to see any kind of serious fasting, Valerie.

They are not supposed to flaunt it and it is individualized some are strict about it (the ones we know personally are) and some are not. It is rarely total abstinence from food.

I do believe Amish fast but not by a calendar

[Falco Knotwise]

I remember one time at work a friend of mine offered to share something with meat. I can’t remember if it was a subway sandwich (a hoagie) or something like a hamburger, but he looked rather perplexed that no one in the cafeteria took him up on it and nobody said anything. We have many Hispanics at our place. I said, to him, “It’s the Friday before Easter, Bill. Many people won’t eat meat today.”

That started up a conversation amongst some of the louder ones.

[JayP]

In both the RCC and Orthodox church one can always elect to fast for individual, and as some of you want to stress "secret" reasons.

But both churches have a regular seasonality of feast and fast, in the sense that periods that are for penance and preparation, and then celebration.
So seasons like Advent (before Christmas) and Lent (before Easter) usually have fasting of some sort included.

Traditionally Catholics did not eat meat on Fridays (period), then the practice was reduced for many to just Fridays in Lent, and some dispense with it all together. Not trying to give commentary, just share factual information.

Orthodox are noted as having fasting requirements that are often more arduous than RCC.

Obviously, many members of the RCC and Orthodox churches vary in their personal commitment, ranging from "almost every person born Italian or Irish will continue to define themselves as Catholic (or Greek as Orthodox) when then haven't been in a church in 20 years" to "super zealous".

One should not IMHO draw any conclusions that "organized or defined fasting", such as the RCC and Orthodox have is any more, or less, valuable than individual fasting. Jesus did not admonish against proscribed fasting, he admonished wringing your hands about it in public.

I will comment that a serious lacking I found in Conservative Mennonite circles (as opposed to OOA) when compared to the RCC, is the cycle of fast/feast has I think constructive value. Those ConMennos that try hard to treat each day the same (I was always astounded at the one family that insisted on public working such as doing a barn roof on Good Friday to prove their rejection of holidays) just create a dull sameness that in no one helps one's pursuit of Christianity (IHMO). THere is a place for celebration. We can debate the individual holidays or celebrations (such as weddings), but it's clear to me it is no accident Jesus' first miracle is at a wedding feast.

[Sudsy]

From that previous link I gave on fasting - In Matthew 9:14-17

The disciples of John the Baptist came asking, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?” Jesus responded by saying that fasting was not necessary at the time that He was with the disciples, but when He was taken away, that then they would fast.

I have read and I think it also in the link I gave that Jesus did not make fasting an ordinance. But an ordinance is a term used by certain Christian denominations for a religious ritual that was instituted by Jesus for Christians to observe.

So, it would seem to me that Jesus was making fasting an ordinance. How is this not an ordinance when Jesus also fasted for 40 days and nights before His temptation by Satan ? And it would also seem that foot washing, as considered by some to be an ordinance, has less practical reason for doing today then it did in Jesus time on earth.

Any insights on this ?

[Josh]

I have worked alongside and even at one point was business partners with Orthodox people and have yet to see any kind of serious fasting, Valerie.

They are not supposed to flaunt it and it is individualized some are strict about it (the ones we know personally are) and some are not. It is rarely total abstinence from food.

I do believe Amish fast but not by a calendar

It becomes rather obvious when someone doesn’t fast when you work alongside them every day. (Likewise with Muslims it is obvious when they are fasting, because they don’t eat lunch.)

[Valerie]

I have worked alongside and even at one point was business partners with Orthodox people and have yet to see any kind of serious fasting, Valerie.

They are not supposed to flaunt it and it is individualized some are strict about it (the ones we know personally are) and some are not. It is rarely total abstinence from food.

I do believe Amish fast but not by a calendar

It becomes rather obvious when someone doesn’t fast when you work alongside them every day. (Likewise with Muslims it is obvious when they are fasting, because they don’t eat lunch.)

People fast in different ways. It's suppose to be personal, in Orthodoxy there's variations. How about answering Sudsy's question above?