Methods of Spiritual Maturity - Fasting and the Rule of Life
There is
a story about a young monk who was very excited about the coming
season of Lent and his practice of fasting this year. As he got more
excited, he began to consider how little food he was going to need.
He began making plans for maintaining his fast and for he was going
to “out-fast” the other monks. In his meeting with the abbot
before Lent, he began to share all his plans and his excitement about
how pure he would become from the experience. The abbot listened
quietly, pondering the words of the young monk for some time.
Finally, he spoke and said, “my young brother, fasting is not about
what you will achieve nor about your pride. This Lent I want you to
eat all of your regular meals. Oh, and in addition to that, you
should eat one chocolate bar a day!”
As we
come to a close, I think this is an excellent story to end on not
merely because I am going to speak on fasting but because in speaking on fasting, we address the
nature, the temptation of the human being to turn and twist that
which is good for us into that which can rot our souls.
Those
of you that have had to undergo treatments and surgeries, blood
testing and the like may have discovered what I have found so
helpful. Rather than watching the nurse or doctor stick the needle
or IV in, I look to the face of the care giver. It doesn’t seem to
hurt so bad. Rather than focus on the relationship, we focus on
goals (because that is what we are taught, right?). Rather than
focus on the healer, we focus on the wound. In spiritual practices, we often focus on the practice, the act rather than on the One we seek to relate to through these methods.
The
methods of spiritual maturity are not to gain “the spiritual
world.” They are to bring us to a place where we become people
perfect in love. Jane Vennard writes points this out so clearly,
“Jesus commanded his disciples to “love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12). And so he commanded us. To love as Jesus loved is to love without aim. In all relationships, human and divine, in prayer and in physical contact, we simply attend with love. We pray to pray. We love to love. And we wait for God’s grace to find us (42).”
Jane’s
words clarify the goal of love - all. The prayers we pray, are not
to further our power or authority in the Kingdom but so we might know
God, be available to God. Many of those to whom God revealed
himself, weren’t even praying at all! To Moses, God came when Moses
was tending sheep. To Samuel, he came while Samuel was laying down
to sleep. To Paul, he came when Paul was on the road.
How
engaged they were in “spiritual practices," we don’t know
but they were at places where God was confident they would get the
message He wanted to be with them. It wasn’t required that they
being doing holy things but that they were available. Our methods,
our practices, our spiritual habits make move us toward this
availability.
As I’ve
already noted, John Wesley was well studied in Scripture, placing the
Bible as the central authority for the Christians in England striving
to follow Jesus. Wesley was not interested in a new church - he was
interested in new Christians becoming mature Christians. His sermon
on, The Means Of Grace, outlined primarily the practices of studying
scripture and prayer. He preached that, “The chief of these means
are prayer, whether in secret or with the great congregation;
searching the Scriptures; (which implies reading, hearing and
meditating thereon);… (from Sermon on The Means of Grace). But by
know means was this all that Wesley saw in Scripture and encouraged
of the people.
The
third practice of importance not to be missed by Wesley (and also,
Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Jonathan Edwards to name a few
others) is the practice of fasting which I want to touch on for a
moment because fasting represents the third of the private/personal
methods of spiritual maturity. Jesus is fairly clear that fasting
was and was intended to remain a practice of his followers when he
said,
"Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. "But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. (Mat 6:16-18 NASB)
Wesley’s
sermon on this text notes “…in what manner are we to fast…let
it be done unto the Lord, with our eye singly fixed on him.” (Sermon: Uponon Lord’s Sermon on the Mount (VII). Follow the link to get a fuller understanding of Wesley and fasting.)
There is
some good material, even more new material out regarding fasting and
with it all, a lot of misunderstandings. I referred often to Richard
Foster’s, Celebration of Discipline as one of the foremost
resources. Marjorie Thompson’s, Soul Feast, is another. I really
appreciate though, Jane Vennard’s concise and Biblical
understanding of fasting and it’s purpose, namely, “...to create
space in your life to attend to God (pg 22).”
Fasting
is not a punishment. In the Bible it is practiced in times of sorrow
and defeat (2 Samuel 12:6-16 and Judges 20:26). It was done in time
of preparation for events (Exodus 34:28 and Matthew 4:2). In the
early church, it became part of worship (Acts 13:2). Because of the
nature of our society and it’s view of bodies and food, talking of
fasting is difficult. For those whose health would be in jeapordy,
certainly a food fast would not be what God is asking of you.
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But when
what we own begins to owns us or what we consume creeps over us and
consumes us, then it isn’t hard to see where fasting plays a role
for us spiritually. We are to have no other gods before God and
fasting whether from food, from the internet, from e-mail, from
football, from whatever it maybe, is a vital practice.
In its
simplest form, fasting is going without food, only drinking water,
for a 24 hour period. Breakfast to breakfast or another meal is the
most common. I have often chosen to do 1 meal a day, usually lunch.
Or I have chosen to do a juice fast, drinking only water and juice to
help soften or eliminate headaches when it has been a while since I
have fasted. What must be considered at all times, is why you are
fasting.
Dr.
Allan Coppedge, who has been a leading scholar and teacher in
Wesleyan-Methodist Theology, outlines 3 Essential Elements for the
early Methodists. However, their application is not just for then as
we have been discovering in the growth of churches across
denominations that have discovered the importance of these.
For the
Methodists, these Elements, I think, formed in Wesley’s time a
“Rule of Life,” a set of practices that ordered one’s life.
This ‘Rule of Life’ comes from the St. Benedict and his practice
of helping order the life of monks. Within our Christian tradition a
“rule of life” has come to refer to “the kind of structure that
supports spiritual growth (pg 145, Soul Feast).
As
you’ll see from Dr. Coppedge’s outline, for Wesley, the Methods
of Spiritual Maturity consisted of:
I.
Use of the Means of Grace
A.
Private
1. Bible
Reading
2. Prayer
3. Fasting
B.
Corporate
1.
Public preaching/teaching of the Word
2.
Family devotions
3.
Prayer in the societies and classes
4.
Sacrament of Lord's Supper
5.
Small group meetings: classes and bands
6.
Love Feasts; Watch Nights; Covenant Service
II.
USE OF THE PRINCIPLE OF ACCOUNTABILITY
The
classes, bands, select bands and personal interviews were the chief
means used by the early Methodists to give a regular account of their
spiritual state and progress in the Christian life.
III.
USE OF THE PRINCIPLE OF LIFE TRANSFERENCE
John
and Charles Wesley, the Methodist preachers and the class leaders
became spiritual directors and models for the application of Biblical
principles to everyday life. Wesley's collection of sermons, letters
and tracts, and similar works of other Methodist leaders, catalogs
and demonstrates this practice.
We’ve been
discussing the three, primary, private Means of Grace from Wesley's model while at the same time, joining together in a class meeting format. The principle
of life transference has long been neglected yet it is much needed
for the church. A growing number of both clergy and laity are
seeking to understand and practice this within the Church through
spiritual direction, which is what I’m currently working on over
the next few years.
But without
a structure, an understanding of how we grow, the means by which we
grow and help in the growth, then it becomes more clear, I think, why
we’re not maturing, why we’re not experiencing. And so I want to leave you consider one more quote of Mr. Wesley's, one which goes right to the point behind these methods and the effects of a rule of life...
Settle this in your heart, that the opus operatum, the mere work done, profiteth nothing; that there is no power to save, but in the Spirit of God, no merit, but in the blood of Christ; that, consequently, even what God ordains, conveys no grace to the soul, if you trust not in Him alone. On the other hand, he that does truly trust in Him, cannot fall short of the grace of God, even though he were cut off from every outward ordinance, though he were shut up in the centre of the earth.
How
you will grow is up to you, but it is my place to help guide and
offer some direction on the journey. And today I’d like to offer
you some time to consider your own Rule Of Life - how you will grow
in grace.
Download the MP3 of Methods of Spiritual Maturity part 4: Fasting and the Rule of Life at Mediafire!
Download the MP3 of Methods of Spiritual Maturity part 4: Fasting and the Rule of Life at Mediafire!
This is the final part of this four part teaching series. The other entries are under "Methods" in the search feature or simply scroll down. I pray you found these helpful and encouraging. Please feel free to post any thoughts or questions you might have! Don't turn the dial too far, there is more to come in the future!
Works Cited:
Further Recommended Reading on Principle of Accountability from Allan Coppedge
Posts
3 comments:
Dear Ken,
Thanks for the twitter follow. I had to follow someone who calls himself the Jedipastor, having seen the first Star Wars, not the one they say is the first, but the actual first Star Wars more than 10 times in the theatre.
My comment isn't about that though, I was first introduced to the concept of "Rule of Life" during my second week here in seminary at Drew Theological School. It was one of the assigned presentations for a class on Pastoral Formation. The young man who presented it happened to be a PK (Pastor's Kid) and he did a wonderful job. He even gave us a little graph to take home and work on. It had spaces for hourly, daily, weekly, monthly and annual activities that enhanced our relationship with God. Across the top the categories were financial, personal, familial, and corporate.
I can remember looking at that slip of paper and just being ready to cry. You see this was the very first time I had ever lived away from home. My Mother had died six months prior and my sons were basically grown. It was the first time in my life I could completely dedicate myself to following God and all of a sudden I realized that everything I had participated in to grow in God was 250 miles away. I didn't have Christian friends to help me on my path, I didn't have my familiar pastor to guide me, I didn't have the support of the bible study classes I taught. And well, as far as financial went, living expenses in a well to do College town with three Universities had taken care of everything except maybe the last 2 coins I had.
I said "Oh my" have I got work to do. I slowly made friends. It goes slow when everyone has 4-5 hours of reading to do. I found solace in the daily Chapel services and joined the choir with one of the most talented group of people I had ever met. I joined Student Government. I am visiting local United Methodist Churches to find one that fits for Sunday Worship. On a visit home I dug out my devotionals such as "Streams in the Desert" and "This Day" and slowly I am creating a new Rule of Life and a new life !
Thanks you for such a wonderful and insightful blog. I have been to Lake Junalaska for Soul Feast and met Marcia McFee, and I have been to the Upper Room prayer center.
Thank you for doing research and citing sources and not writing a blog that assumes people need to be dragged around by the hand ! I will definitely be a regular reader and I will be putting your link on my blogroll if you don't mind?
God Bless You ! And may the force be with you !
Ken I invite you to visit www.belief andbeyond.com when you have some free time. Like I know all good Pastor, father, blogger, cancer survivor, Spiritual Director's have so much of !
Hey Christine,
Thanks so much for stopping in and sharing your story! You are welcome to add me to your blogroll and I returned the favor! .)
I appreciate and am touched by your story and journey. It is often when we walk in footsteps of true discipleship, that we hear what Abram and Sarai heard, "Go to a place you don't know!" I'm still wrestling with why God feels that is necessary but the truth is, it works on us deeply and intimately. Maybe we need to explore the spiritual practice of 'moving' together?
I am trying to live into Rule of Life myself this year as part of my studies at Garrett-Evangelical in Spiritual Formation. I've always had one (though I didn't know it) and my struggle is the need to be more free flowing as I listen to the Spirit speak in my life right now. I keep finding Wesley 'hid' a lot of what we are calling 'spiritual direction' today, into the practices of faith and life in Methodism. I'd love to know if you've found some of that to be the case or not?
I look forward to more dialogue. Keep up the good work on your blog. And I pray blessings on your journey! May the force be with you!
Ken
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