Going Faster: Autumn Solemn Ember Day of Prayer and Fasting Two

Autumn Solemn Ember Day of Prayer and Fasting two, but not really because it is bumped by the Feast Day of St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist—I’m going to treat it as Solemn Ember anyway because of my devotional OCD-ness. And since I know that Jesus said when I fast I’m not to look gloomy or disfigure my face, or, presumably, draw attention to myself so that my (extremely spiritual) fasting may be seen or known about by others like you, dear reader, I’d better not refer to it lest I lose my reward (Mt6.16-18). 

I don’t like it. Fasting, I mean. I usually feel a bit of a fraud with my not-quite-24-hour-Solemn-Ember-Day efforts during which I forgo just breakfast and lunch. Judy, my wife, says it would be more meaningful for me to give up coffee than food for the day. Sigh. I felt convicted, so today I’m drinking it without milk or cream. Black (like my spirit-of-religion heart, no doubt). 

Oops. There goes my reward. O well, there’s always tomorrow (did I just lose it again?)…

But then, I’m not supposed to like it. I afflicted myself with fasting wrote King David in Psalm 35.13. Afflicted—to cause pain or suffering to; affect or trouble. Perhaps my self-imposed version of affliction is too light and momentary (2Cor4.17). LORD, have mercy. But it does remind me of what I’m about on these Ember Days. Every hunger pang reminds me to pray, of what I’m asking God to do and that I’m totally and absolutely dependent on Him for help. 

Why bother? Because the Church is beleaguered without and within. There are scandals from the Roman Catholics to Willow Creek. Our Anglican Church of Canada (ACoC) is in numerical decline in attendance and finances. In just ten months General Synod 2019 will vote on a momentous doctrinal change to our marriage canon. Earnest, heart-felt, prayer (and fasting) is vital and much needed. 

Please join us. 

Gene+

Putting On the Armour of Light: Advent Ember Days of Prayer and Fasting for the Anglican Church—Prayers at Mid-Day

One of them in the BCP is this:

And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me.
BLESSED Saviour, who at this hour didst hang upon the cross stretching out thy loving arms: Grant that all mankind may look unto thee and be saved; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen. (p16)

Saving faith for all is the goal. Pray for our church to be a fruitful part of that.

Gene+

Putting On the Armour of Light: Advent Ember Days of Prayer and Fasting for the Anglican Church—Day Three

Well this will reveal the super spiritual saints among us! Who fasts two days from Christmas? And the awful thing is, even if we we are feeling a little full of ourselves because we do, we can’t tell anyone lest we lose our reward! (Mt 6.16-18) Sigh.

Fasting, or not, do take some time—at least a moment—to pray for the Anglican Church of Canada today—it’s people, its leaders—present and future, its Synods and councils. Pray that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ will continue to reign over us with truth and grace and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

For readings and other resources see yesterday’s post.

May your Advent waiting and Ember Days Prayer (and Fasting) be rewarded with the renewed presence of Jesus himself—extra bright, palpable and unmistakable—in your Christmas worship and in your celebrations with family and friends.

Gene+

Putting On the Armour of Light: Advent Ember Days of Prayer and Fasting for the Anglican Church—Day Two of Three

Today is the second of the three Advent Ember Days of Solemn prayer and fasting for the Church (See the post on the first day here). 

The rubrics for THE ADVENT EMBER DAYS BEING THE WEDNESDAY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AFTER THE THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT state the following: 

On Ember Days the Collect, Epistle, and Gospel, page 210, shall always be used first. (BCP p100)

This is the Collect to which they refer: 

ALMIGHTY God, the giver of all good gifts, who of thy divine providence hast appointed divers Orders in thy Church: Give thy grace, we humbly beseech thee, to all those who are to be called to any office and administration in the same; and so replenish them with the truth of thy doctrine, and endue them with innocency of life, that they may faithfully serve before thee, to the glory of thy great Name, and to the benefit of thy holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP p210)

For the purposes of our vigil for the Church, this is an excellent prayer, not only for those “called to any office and administration,” but we can also use it for those who presently hold such offices—our bishops, priests, deacons and lay folk, especially when they are called together as members of synods. Doctrinal truth and innocency of life would be of great help in keeping us safely in God’s will. 

The Collect for Advent (BCP p95, BAS p268) is also a good classic prayer for the Church for such a time as this. We need to be both alert enough to identify the works of darkness which threaten to lead us astray and which need to be cast away, and to be awake enough to recognize the armour of light which is available to us. 

Add to that, the PRAYERS FOR THE CHURCH, number 7, For General, Provincial, or Diocesan Synods (BCP p42—if you don’t have a BCP, you can download it by following the link here: http://www.anglican.ca/about/liturgicaltexts/). 

Assigned readings for these Ember Days can be found here. Note the link to BCP readings also. Pray and not lose heart!(Lk 18.1)

Gene+

Grudem on Fasting and Angels

The reading continues, with a hospital visit and a marriage prep session thrown in.

On Prayer

My favorite in this chapter is the piece on fasting—something I and the people of StB have to get into.

several benefits come from fasting, all of which affect our relationship with God:

1. Fasting increases our sense of humility and dependence on the Lord (for our hunger and physical weakness continually remind us how are not really strong in ourselves but need the Lord).


2. Fasting allows us to give more attention to prayer (for we are not spending our time eating), and


3. It is a continual reminder that, just as we sacrifice some personal comfort to the Lord by not eating, so we must continually sacrifice all of ourselves to him. Moreover, 


4. Fasting is a good exercise in self-discipline, for as we refrain from eating food which we would ordinarily desire, it also strengthens our ability to refrain from sin, to which we might otherwise be tempted to yield. If we train ourselves to accept the small “suffering” of fasting willingly, we will be better able to accept other suffering for the sake of righteousness (cf. Heb 5.8, 1 Peter 4.1-2),


5. Fasting also heightens spiritual and mental alertness and a sense of god’s presence as we focus less on the material things of this world (such as food) and as the energies of our body are freed from digesting and processing food. This enables us to focus on eternal spiritual realities that are much more important. Finally, 


6. Fasting expresses earnestness and urgency in our prayers: if we continued to fast, eventually we would die. Therefore, in a symbolic way, fasting says to God that we are prepared to lay down our lives that the situation be changed rather than that it continue. In this sense fasting is especially appropriate when the spiritual state of the church is low. 390-391

I hate fasting, but it's getting down to the wire, folks. Time to get serious.

On Angels

Angels are created, spiritual beings with moral judgment and high intelligence, but without physical bodies. 397

…ordinary activities…guarding and protecting us (Ps 34.7, 91.11, Heb 1.14), and joining with us in worship to God (Heb 12.22), they are invisible. 397

…angels are never said to be made in "the image of God." 402

Though we are "for a little while lower than the angels" (Heb 2.7), when our salvation is complete we will be exalted above angels and rule over them. 402

Satan and Demons next.