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MPC Family,
This Friday, we have the privilege of joining with our church family and with many churches in our area and our denomination (as well as a few other denominations) in a day of fasting and prayer. We are doing this day together for many reasons, but here are just a few:
1. This is a chance for us to humble ourselves and cry out to God in the midst of a great national and global trial.
2. One of the hardest parts of the last month has been the separation we have been experiencing. While we will still be physically separated on Friday, praying and fasting together is one more way for us to be bound together as a church.
3. Good Friday is a day in the Christian calendar set aside for mourning over at both our own sin and the fallen nature of our world. It's a time of longing for God to make things right in our world and in our hearts, and recognizing that His death on the Cross was necessary for to bring us both forgiveness and hope. It can be easy to rush past Good Friday and go right to the joy of Easter, but this is a chance for us to consider and be affected by the rhythms of Jesus' last week in Jerusalem.
As part of the day of prayer and fasting, I'm planning on hosting a prayer meeting on Zoom on Friday at noon. You can contact me if you are interested in attending (if you need help installing zoom, click here).
We realize that everyone has varying degrees of experience with fasting, and this is okay! Please also know that your participation and how you participate is a matter of Christian liberty and wisdom. Having said this, one way we are suggesting to experience the fast together is to begin to fast from food and drink (continue to drink water while you are fasting!) after dinner on Thursday night. We have then timed our Good Friday livestream service for 5:30 PM on Friday so that you can, if you choose to, continue your fast through the service. After participating in this service, you can break your fast and begin to anticipate the joy of Easter Sunday. One note - when you do break your fast, start small and simple for the sake of your stomach - even after a day, your stomach won't do well (and you can actually hurt yourself) if you move directly from a fast to a feast!
We recognize that, for health reasons, fasting from food might not be for everybody. We completely understand - if you'd still like to participate, consider fasting from something else that day - maybe your phone, entertainment, caffeine, or something else. The ultimate idea is that the posture of our hearts be set towards humbly casting our concerns upon the Lord, who loves us and delights in hearing from us. We pray and fast not as a way to manipulate God into doing what we want, but as a response to his gracious provision. We know He has given us all that we need, even giving us His Son, and we can go joyfully go without some of the gifts He gives us for a season in order to focus on coming before Him.
Especially if you are new to fasting, it might be helpful for you to read an article called "Fasting for Beginners" by David Mathis.
In terms of what to pray for on Friday, click here to find a suggested prayer list from our denomination - a list that other churches in our denomination and our country will be encouraged to pray from. Of course, you can add to this prayer list any personal or MPC-related concerns that you become aware of in the next few days.
If you have questions, don't hesitate to reach out - our contact information is at the bottom of all of these emails. Thank you and we love you and miss you!
Jeff