By Mariah Velásquez '10 Associate Director, Martin Institute Fasting is Feasting
“Fasting is feasting. We fast to better concentrate on God and understand what controls us.” - Richard Foster
Lent can be a time to recognize our deep need for God and allow Him to fill space that has been taken by other things. Through fasting we choose to give up control. Our impulses and fears remind us to turn to God. Each year, the Westmont community engages in a Lenten media fast. In her new book Restless Devices, Westmont professor Dr. Felicia Song describes life connected to the digital: “Life is constantly ‘being lived elsewhere’ as our bodies are in one place, but our minds and consciousness reside focused on the stuff of our screens.”[1]
To join us, decide how you will fast and begin each day with this prayer of relinquishment. You may find this video meditation helpful.
Prayer of Relinquishment:[2]
Today, O Lord, I yield myself to you.
May your will be my delight today.
May your way have perfect sway in me.
May your love be the pattern of my living.
I surrender to you
my hopes,
my dreams,
my ambitions.
Do with them what you will, when you will, as you will.
I place into your loving care
my family,
my friends,
my future.
Care for them with a care that I can never give.
I release into your hands
my need to control,
my craving for status,
my fear of obscurity.
Eradicate the evil, purify the good, establish your kingdom on earth.
For Jesus’ sake, Amen.
A few ideas:
1. Each day, choose Scripture before phone. Justin Earley describes this habit saying, “Daily immersion in the Scriptures resists the anxiety of emails, the anger of news, and the envy of social media. Instead it forms us daily in our true identity as children of the King, dearly loved.”[3]
2. Fast from multitasking. Monotask instead. Be present where you are. Eat meals without devices in sight. Chat with people in line. Drive without music. Hike without earbuds.
3. Unplug from digital media for 24 hours: Turn off your computer, TV, cell phone. Be present to yourself, to God, to people.
4. If you would like to go further, consider engaging in Dr. Song’s 30-day Freedom Project as described in Restless Devices.
Remember: Enjoy the experiment! When you recognize an impulse or desire to break your fast, talk to God. Be curious about what is prompting the impulse. Ask God to fill your deepest needs and longings as he increases your love for God, yourself and the people you touch.
For more resources, visit conversatio.org.
[1] Felicia Wu Song, Restless Devices: Recovering Personhood, Presence and Place in the Digital Age. InterVarsity Press, 2021. p. 22.
[2] Richard Foster, Prayers From the Heart. New York: HarperOne, 1994. p. 24
[3] Justin Whitmel Earley, The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2019. p. 92.