Rhythms: Prayer & Fasting
Dear Mosaic Boston Family,
When's the last time you thought about food? A few hours ago? An hour ago? Or (more likely), a few minutes ago? We live in a culture of abundance and indulgence. Food is ubiquitous. Not just food: delicious food. Especially in a wonderful city like Boston.
Within a 10 minute walk radius from where I live, here's some of the food I have access to: Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Indian, Korean, Thai, 2 Mexican restaurants, 2 burger joints, a burrito place (often frequented by members of Mosaic), a Jewish bakery, a Jewish deli, a Jewish butchery, a French place, 2 Korean restaurants, a Russian market, 5 pizzas places, 3 Sushi places, 3 sandwich shops, a steak house, not to mention the 3 bars, 4 coffee shops, oh, and 3 grocery stores. I'm sure that list isn't exhaustive, just mentioned all the places I've been to. Food is all around us. If I can't walk there, Uber Eats comes through every time.
When every day becomes a feast, no day truly is. We've lost the rhythm of feasting (celebrating God's bounty and kindness), because we've lost the rhythm of fasting (celebrating God). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus takes for granted that his disciples will fast on a regular basis, by saying "When you fast..." not "if you fast..." In Matthew 9:15b, Jesus, referring to His disciples says, "they will fast." However, Jesus wants to make clear that fasting is only a means, never an end. Thus, Jesus connects prayer with fasting. We don't fast to fast, but fast to pray--and we don't pray to pray, but pray to fellowship with Our Heavenly, our greatest need, even greater than that for food.
What does it mean to fast? What should I fast from? How long should I last? What are the purposes of fasting? When should I not fast? Join us tomorrow as we consider these questions and more, by looking at the spiritual rhythm of fasting, in order to feast on fellowship with God.
Praying for you,
Pastor Jan
Announcements
Holiday Service Changes
Sunday, January 6th: Only 9:30 and 11:15 a.m. services––no evening service. Mini Mosaic and youth group resume as normal.
Baptism Seminar
Sunday, January 13, 5 p.m.
Want to be baptized? The first step toward baptism at Mosaic is to attend our baptism class. Contact Kara at admin@mosaicboston.com to sign up.
Mosaic Teens Game Night
Friday, January 18, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Join Mosaic Teens for a night of fun, food, and fellowship, hosted by the Ang family. For directions and questions, please contact Tyler Burns: tyler@mosaicboston.com.
Mosaic Membership 101
Sunday, January 27th, 1-3 p.m.
If you are considering becoming a member of Mosaic, please join our membership class after the 11:15 service. Lunch will be provided. RSVP: admin@mosaicboston.com
Our Holiday Gift to You!
Our church is pleased to gift you access to RightNow Media, a Bible study and media library. Access over 20,000 discipleship videos for kids, youth and adults online and on streaming devices like Roku or Apple TV. Visit our website, app, or the iPad kiosk to learn more.
Songs for Sunday. If you would like to know what we'll be singing on Sunday, you can find the playlist here.