Isaiah 58:6-7

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

I grew up in a church tradition that did not observe Lent and therefore Lenten practices like fasting or “giving something up.” Save that Catholics ate fish on Fridays (for some reason), it was largely a foreign concept to me, to be honest, until I was in college and learned a little more about other Christian denominations. During that time, I learned about the practice of giving something up for Lent (even in protestant churches!) in a demonstration of devotion. Often something that wasn’t very healthy in the first place, like fast food or alcohol or, most frequently for some reason, chocolate, this always struck me as a little quirky. “How does that demonstrate one’s love for God, anyway? It seems kind of like a second chance at your New Year’s resolution” I wondered. “And if you end up indulging, is that to say your devotion is compromised?”

I don’t mean to malign anyone’s disciplines. But some years later, I learned of what resonates with me to be a better practice — intentional addition of a particular spiritual practice during the season of Lent. Setting extra time aside to read one’s Bible or pray or read devotions or (my personal favorite) read and reflect on hymn texts is far more helpful for me — turning the idea of fasting from what isn’t helpful into feasting on what is best for us. Plus, it’s something that has far more potential to extend past the season into the rest of our year, whereas depriving ourselves of something we really want the whole time just means that we might overindulge when we hit “the finish line.”

In this passage from Isaiah, we see a similar sentiment. The fasting that God seeks, according to the prophet, is to devote oneself to creating more justice in the world, to freeing the prisoner and lifting up the oppressed, to feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, and clothing the naked. In other words, Isaiah is telling us that fasting just for the sake of fasting is not what God desires, but rather, we are to do God’s work here on earth. I am reminded of my favorite quote of Pope Francis: “You pray for the hungry. Then you feed them. That’s how prayer works.” As the hands and feet of Christ, we are called to do the things that are necessary to enact and enable God’s will to be made manifest.

Don’t get me wrong. I still try to give something up during Lent. Frankly, it’s always the same thing — road rage. I try, usually unsuccessfully, but I keep trying. But I have, over time added more spiritual practices in, and, again, some have stuck after Lent and some have not. But I have not regretted the decision to do so once, and I know that I’m better off having added these in, even if for a short time. During Lent and throughout the year, I hope that we all find new ways to love God and our neighbors.

I invite you to pray with me.

God, we do love you. Help us to find ways to show our appreciation for all you do and have done for us both by devoting our lives to you and by loving your people. We pray that we always remember to be your hands and feet, not just praying that your will is done, but working to make your world a better place. Amen.

 

This devotion was written and read by Dwight Dockery.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.