 St Alban’s Episcopal Church Bolivar, Missouri Wednesday, April 6, 2022 Not for Lent alone(and not for Christians only!)prayer, fasting, almsgiving  Prayer and fastingDo you know that these are common practices in Judaism, Buddhism and Islam as well as Christianity?Muslims have just begun the month of Ramadan, which includes fasting every day from all food and drink (even water) from sunup to sundown for healthy adults. It is intended to be a period of spiritual growth, much as we hope Lent will be for us. They believe – as Jews, Buddhists and Christians do – that fasting can help people become more conscious of God; by deliberately abstaining from things we take for granted – including eating whatever and whenever we please, people remember what we can not do without: God. When we are hungry or thirsty, we remember those who are poor, which can help people grow in compassion.Aside from fasting, Muslims also pray in a more focused and daily, communal way during these days, and give to the poor. If everyone in the Christian community practiced these spiritual disciplines together, in a thoughtful way, breaking the fast in the evenings, praying daily with others, consciously giving to relieve the needs of the poor, do you think it might help make those disciplines both easier and more regular – and maybe even more helpful to us as a community? Awareness that we “are all in this together?”   Giving Again, all major religions enjoin us to give to the poor. And interestingly, all seem to connect fasting, prayer and almsgiving, to see them as related. We perhaps come to see God more clearly in prayer; maybe we come to love him more dearly as we fast and understand that all we have comes from God; and surely we follow him more nearly as we give – of our time, our financial and material resources, and our energy, relieving need and making justice for God’s people. I ask you to consider a specific gift either to Episcopal Relief and Development for Ukraine, or to the Good Friday Offering for the Diocese of Jerusalem which includes Palestine – or to another trusted agency that will use the money to bring relief to those who are suffering. Your children can also help pick up items to deliver to Community Connections food pantry.  |
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