Of all the various spiritual practices of the church, the one we perhaps think about, talk about, and engage in the least is fasting. Especially in our over-indulged American culture, the idea of depriving ourselves seems downright foreign, if not altogether absurd!

But fasting is a practice that has gone hand-in-hand with worship for people of many faiths for nearly all of history. In the Hebrew tradition, fasting is associated most closely with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. But it is also mentioned throughout both the Old and New Testaments as a normative ritual for both Jews and Christians.

This week at New Wineskins, we’ll talk about the practice of fasting, where it comes from, why we do it, and the benefits we might derive from it.

As an added experience, we invite you, the New Wineskins community, to partake in a period of fasting this weekend. You may wish to do a traditional fast from eating, or you may want to “fast” from something else–television, technology, social media, soft drinks, etc.

We’ll break our fast together at our gathering and share our experiences. If you’re participating from out of town or can’t make it Sunday night, we invite you to post your reflections here in the comment section or on our Facebook page.

Join us this Sunday, Oct. 25, in the 167 Side Room of the Marietta Brewing Company to enjoy food and drink together as we discuss the ancient spiritual practice of fasting, and savor the irony!

Happy Half-Hour: 6:30pm

Conversation Begins: 7:00pm