I’m sitting at Starbucks sipping honey-sweetened mint tea to wash down a chocolate covered nut bar — an interesting moment to write to you about the discipline of fasting. No guilt though. Today I eat and drink to the glory of God. But this context is a vivid reminder of modern culture’s unprecedented access to things that fill but don’t satisfy.

In typical clarity, Richard Foster defines fasting as ​“the voluntary denial of an otherwise normal function for the sake of intense spiritual activity.” That includes food, but it also can apply to media, smartphones, or even excessive talking. ​“Whatever in our lives is producing an addiction in us is a prime area for fasting.”

Dallas Willard helps us see fasting is a key to the keys of the Kingdom. It’s a way to make Sabbath real in the midst of life. And Chris Hall joins Nathan Foster on the podcast this week to discuss Living Wisely with the Church Fathers, the last book in this year’s Book Club.

What might God be calling us to forgo, not to earn anything but rather to make room for grace? I’m taking a moment now to put a day on the calendar to fast. I never look forward to it but I never regret it.

Feast on God,