Fasting

[TKA_TN]

Are there any guides from the LCMS on fasting? I've been searching and haven't been able to find much. I know it's not something that's directed by the Church, but like the practice of it.

 

[tampasteve]

The only things I can find are in relation to Lent:
"From the perspective of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, "giving something up for Lent" is entirely a matter of Christian freedom. It would be wrong, from our perspective, for the church to make some sort of "law" requiring its members to "give something up for Lent," since the Scriptures themselves do not require this.

If, on the other hand, a Christian wants to give something up for Lent as a way of remembering and personalizing the great sacrifice that Christ made on the cross for our sins, then that Christian is certainly free to do so — as long as he or she does not "judge" or "look down on" other Christians who do not choose to do this."

 

[TKA_TN]

Thank you for posting. Helpful.

 

[Newtheran]

If you're interested in keeping a fasting rule, ask the Orthodox. They've been doing it since Jesus walked the earth.

The Fasting Rule of the Orthodox Church

It does seem quite complex, but keep in mind, the goal of fasting is to discipline our appetites and turn our focus away from earthly things to heavenly things.

 

[TKA_TN]

Wow, that’s pretty intense. Thank you for posting. That’s something I was looking for. Didn’t realize it’s an every Wednesday/Friday thing. But you’re right about turning our focus towards heavenly things.

 

[Silverback]

If you're interested in keeping a fasting rule, ask the Orthodox. They've been doing it since Jesus walked the earth.

The Fasting Rule of the Orthodox Church

It does seem quite complex, but keep in mind, the goal of fasting is to discipline our appetites and turn our focus away from earthly things to heavenly things.

I was stationed in Greece, Crete to be specific, fasting is not as popular with the Orthodox as one would think, at least outside of a monastic community. I new a whole lot of Greeks, who claimed to be Orthodox, and to the best of my knowledge none of them followed the fasting rules.

Western society trends are starting to take hold in most Orthodox nations. They have all become very secular, and church attendance is dropping by 5% per year in some places. Many Orthodox in Greece, anyway, can be found sniffing around any number of Pentecostal churches springing up throughout the country.