| A step toward God: Spiritual fasting regains popularity By Melissa LauberUMConnection Staff  If United Methodists today operated under the leadership of the churchs founder, John Wesley, pastors would fast every Wednesday and Friday and people in the pews would be readying for their Lenten fasts.
In the denominations General Rules, Methodists are called to evidence their desire of salvation in a number of ways including fasting, which is one of the ordinances of God, said Daniel Benedict Jr., citing paragraph 103 in the Book of Discipline. People fast for spiritual purposes. We allow our feelings of hunger to prompt our thoughts to God, said Benedict, director of the General Board of Discipleships worship resources. Over the years, United Methodists have broadened their expressions of piety, choosing social action and other spiritual disciplines to show devotion to God. However, the pendulum may be swinging back in fastings favor, Benedict said.  At this years Leadership Days, a training event for local church leaders in the Baltimore-Washington Conference, the Rev. Brian Jackson wanted to offer a different course instead of one on fasting, which he taught last year.
But people wanted to learn about fasting. Its a phenomenon, he said. On just one day, in the Washington region, Jackson taught three classes on fasting with more than 120 students. Lent is a particularly appropriate time to consider fasting, Jackson said. In the United Methodist Book of Worship, United Methodists are called upon in a historic invitation to observe Lent and the Lenten disciplines, which include fasting. For Jackson, who was recently appointed to Zion UMC in Lexington Park, the attitude that accompanies a fast is more important than the logistics of going without food. He illustrated this point by sharing his own testimony. Jackson grew up in a church and led the youth group. But church was about socializing, not salvation, he said. As he grew into a young man, he became hooked on alcohol and drugs and was homeless for a year on the streets of Baltimore. While living in a shelter, he heard the Gospel. Isnt that something to hear about the Gospel in a shelter and not the church? he asked. The Bible led him into detox and detox led him deeper into the Bible. In its pages he read that God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He also read the story of the woman with the issue of blood who touched Jesus and was healed. From these two things I realized God was still in the healing business and I had to figure out how to touch God, how to get as close as I could. Fasting was one means Jackson used. He fasted for deliverance, waging spiritual warfare with fasting and prayer as weapons in his arsenal. Fasting is a step toward God, he told his classes. Too many Christians are living a shallow faith. Fasting helps us deepen our relationship with God. This is a relationship that needs to be nurtured. Fasting helps when passion and zeal begin to cool. It keeps the faith fires burning. The conference lay leader, Calvin Williams, also fasts. He practices this discipline once every month as an opportunity for spiritual cleansing. When he fasts, Williams goes without food from midnight to 6 p.m. The practice, he said, helps him to realize how many blessings are his and he enthusiastically recommends the discipline. For Jackson, fasting is a means of transformation and developing a relationship with God. Why did God create you? he asked. Fasting gives you the tools to go deep to answer that question. | 
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