Will You Call This a Fast, a Day Acceptable to the Lord?
Ash Wednesday 2014
Isa. 58.1-12
2 Cor. 5.20b-6.10
Matt. 6.1-6, 16-21
Preached at St Andrew’s Northwold on Ash Wednesday 2014
Sermon
Will you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?
In the name of the +Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Will you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?
Lent is the period of 40 days, in which Christians traditionally fast, in preparation for the celebration of Easter. All of this, set to mirror Christ’s own sojourn in the wilderness for 40 days and nights after he was baptised, as he prepared himself to spread His Good News, the Gospel.
So for us, as a people set to follow Christ, Lent should be a period of preparation to bring the Easter Gospel to the wider world.
Fasting for Lent has become an increasingly unpopular activity, even amongst Christians. In recent years it has become far more popular to take up something for Lent, to try and change one’s life for the better.
This too is laudable, as for instance, taking up a greater commitment to prayer, or reading the scripture can certainly better prepare us for spreading the Good News.
Meanwhile ‘Fasting’ for Lent seems to have become popular mainly as a dieting mechanism. Of course, it is good to remember that ‘the body is a temple to God’ (1 Cor. 6.19-20) and that we should therefore treat it well and dieting or refraining from drinking for a while might be a good way to do this.
But sometimes with our tendency of wanting to avoid truly fasting or giving up something we enjoy [and I am certainly bad at doing this], we are in danger of missing the point of what Lent is about. This is perhaps what Isaiah meant when he spoke of “Such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high.” (Isa. 58.4)
There is something to be said for discipline and self-denial.
The point in self-denial should not be seen as beating ourselves with proverbial sticks because we’re wicked sinful human beings – after all Jesus says that he has come so that we may have life, and have it abundantly (John 10.10).
The point of self-denial is that through it we are drawn closer to God through Jesus.
Jesus came into the world to live life with us. He didn’t just have a good time with his mates eating and drinking (though he did do a lot of that). Jesus sought out those in society who were on the margins. Who were in need. Who didn’t always have enough themselves. And he feasted with them too, though he was unpopular with the ‘in crowd’ of his day for doing it.
God sees into the hearts of all of us. He knows the pain and the suffering of every soul throughout the world. He rejoices when we seek out those in need, and help them: After all he tells us that when we do this it is like we found God hungry and fed him, thirsty and gave him something to drink, naked and clothed him (e.g. Matt. 25.35-40).
When we voluntarily fast, when we take on the discipline of denying ourselves something we draw ourselves closer to God because we begin to be able to identify with those throughout the world who are not as fortunate as ourselves and don’t have the luxury of thinking about whether they should fast or not – they are just living daily with hunger.
Hunger isn’t just a problem overseas, or far away.
It is a problem in this country and on our very doorsteps.
A number of members of the House of Bishops wrote to David Cameron recently, chastising the government for its actions, which they believe have led to the growing crisis in the UK of more and more people and families needing the assistance of FoodBanks.
There has been a fair amount of discussion in the Media about whether the Bishops’ analysis was correct.
But irrespective of the reasons behind it, the facts are undeniably true.
More and more Foodbanks are springing up around the UK because there is a genuine need for their services to help people and families in crisis who are falling (at least temporarily) through the gaps in the welfare state.
It is completely unacceptable that people should go hungry anywhere in the world and we should do what he can to help.
Again, Isaiah speaks to this:
“Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
and not to hide yourself from your own kin?” (Isa. 58.6-7)
So along that line of thought, there is a very specific campaign, which has grown out of the hunger crisis in UK, which I want each of us to consider.
It is called #EndHungerFast.
And it is a gift to us as Christians at this time of Lent, because the Campaign makes it incredibly easy for us to stand up and say hunger in the UK is not acceptable and that we want something done about it.
The campaign is called #EndHungerFast for two reasons. Firstly because it calls the government to quick action to solve the problem of families going hungry in the UK.
Secondly because it calls on us to join in with a fast, an abstaining of something we enjoy, to not only do it as a good Christian practice for Lent, but also to do it in solidarity with those throughout the Country who are living with hunger.
There are two ways the campaign is encouraging us to fast. Firstly, to take a normal Lenten observance, like giving up chocolate or alcohol, to sign their petition, and to make sure that we tell people that we are fasting because there are people going hungry even in our own communities (which I promise you – there are).
Secondly to consider joining in with a national day of fasting on 6th April, where there idea would be to refrain from eating for a day (or to adopt the Muslim practice of only eating before sun up and after sun down during a fast), and once again to be public about the fact we’re doing it.
#EndHungerFast is also encouraging us to write to our MPs and let them know what we think of this situation, that we’re supporting their campaign.
Another thing we are already doing as a benefice, and can continue to do, is support our local Foodbank network through donations of foodstuffs.
It has been made incredibly easy for each of us to make a difference, this Lent, to the problem of hunger, not only in the wider world, but in our own country.
My encouragement to each of us this evening is to think about in what ways we can be part of the solution. If any of you want to discuss in more detail what might be a safe and suitable way to help, or need help with finding out more about #EndHungerFast, then please talk to myself, Joan or Ken and we will give guidance where possible.
So as we enter the season of Lent, as we are reminded poignantly to remember that we are but dust and to dust we shall return, let us also remember the reason for what we are encouraged to do: that through our Lenten observance, we might be drawn closer to the love of God, who pines for every one of us to have life and to have it abundantly.
Then where our treasure is, our hearts will be also (Matt. 6.21).
Then we will be living at St Paul exhorts us in the second letter to the Corinthians (2 Cor 6.2b,9b-10):
“See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!
—we are alive;
as punished, and yet not killed;
as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing;
as poor, yet making many rich;
as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.”
So may we all this Lent, through our lives and through our prayers, live to make others rejoicing, others rich, others possessing everything, all that which flows from the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Readings
Isa. 58.1-12
False and True Worship
Shout out, do not hold back!
Lift up your voice like a trumpet!
Announce to my people their rebellion,
to the house of Jacob their sins.
Yet day after day they seek me
and delight to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that practised righteousness
and did not forsake the ordinance of their God;
they ask of me righteous judgements,
they delight to draw near to God.
‘Why do we fast, but you do not see?
Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?’
Look, you serve your own interest on your fast-day,
and oppress all your workers.
Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
and to strike with a wicked fist.
Such fasting as you do today
will not make your voice heard on high.
Is such the fast that I choose,
a day to humble oneself?
Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush,
and to lie in sackcloth and ashes?
Will you call this a fast,
a day acceptable to the Lord?
Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up quickly;
your vindicator shall go before you,
the glory of the Lord shall be your rearguard.
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.
If you remove the yoke from among you,
the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,
if you offer your food to the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness
and your gloom be like the noonday.
The Lord will guide you continually,
and satisfy your needs in parched places,
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters never fail.
Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
the restorer of streets to live in.
2 Cor. 5.20b-6.10
we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says,
‘At an acceptable time I have listened to you,
and on a day of salvation I have helped you.’
See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labours, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honour and dishonour, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see—we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
Matt. 6.1-6, 16-21
Concerning Almsgiving
‘Beware of practising your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
‘So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Concerning Prayer
‘And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Concerning Fasting
‘And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Concerning Treasures
‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
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