A New Kind of Fast

On Ash Wednesday we are invited into a holy Lent where we pray, fast, study and give alms. I wonder how many of us want to run and hide when we hear that part of Lent is about fasting. I have certainly been one of those folks. 

Fasting, as in not eating for 24 hours or more, is not something that all folks can do. Nor should do. However, fasting in the way that the Bible calls out can be done by many.

In the book of Isaiah, chapter 58:6-7, a fasting of the spiritual kind is offered as a method:

(verse 6) "Is not this the fast that I choose:
   to loose the bonds of wickedness,
   to undo the straps of the yoke,
   to let the oppressed go free,
   and to break every yoke?
(7) Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
   and bring the homeless poor into your house;
   when you see the naked, to cover him,
   and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?"

As you can see, fasting has a wide range of options other than abstinence from food and water. . . one of which is to obey God's command is to care for the poor and oppressed. Zechariah, chapter 7:5-10, also repeats this message.

I am wondering if a kind of "Spiritual Fast" might also be to step back, hold back from words that harm, destroy, break down the Body of Christ and the People of God.  This does not mean that we do not engage in deep conversations about the complexities of life and how what we believe might solve the world's aches and pains. It does mean that we come together in new ways. 

Over the last few months, our country has been dealing with so many episodes of violence and we are struggling with finding the "answer" to stop it. In the midst of these conversations we are using lots of harsh words and name calling and fighting.  What if we worked together for "Answers" not "An Answer"? What if we really took the time to look at the big picture and went after the kind of fasting that is talked about in the book of Isaiah?  Might this fasting lead to a better world where we would not have to turn to such violent measures and words that hurt one another?

-Shawn 

The Village of Oak Park is participating in the Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Program Community Challenge from February 2013 through April of 2013 with the goal of reducing community energy usage. The Community Challenge is a new initiative to help foster energy efficiency awareness and action within two local communities. This first Community Challenge will take place in Evanston and Oak Park with plans to expand to other communities in the future. For every resident or business in the Village of Oak Park that participates in select Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Programs through April 2013, $50 will be awarded to the community's final prize. By enrolling new participants in one of six existing Nicor Gas programs:

1. Multi-Family Home Energy Savings
2. Home Energy Savings
3. Home Energy Efficiency Rebate
4. EnergyBUZZ
5. Business Energy Efficiency Rebate
6. Small Business Energy Savings Program

Oak Park will raise up to $25,000 in prize money from Nicor Gas to be used towards a local energy conservation project.

How do I vote for my community's beneficiary organization?

The Oak Park community will select one organization to be the beneficiary of the Challenge based on an on-line voting process. Cast your vote now at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/oak-park-nicor for the community organization which will receive an energy efficiency retrofit using the prize money earned and rebate and incentive money from Nicor Gas. The eligible organizations include:

• West Cook YMCA  
• Collection of six West Suburban PADS congregational sites
  • Euclid United Methodist Church 
  • First United Church of Oak Park 
  • First United Methodist Church 
  • Grace Episcopal Church 
  • Oak Park Temple 
  • St. Christopher's Episcopal Church 

Voting opened the morning of February 1^st 2013 and will run for only 10 days. ANYONE can vote; one vote per person is allowed. Don't wait, vote now at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/oak-park-nicor.

The Challenge is funded by Nicor Gas and administered by CNT Energy. Final selection of the specific energy efficiency project to be funded by the contest is subject to approval by Nicor Gas.

Visit NicorGasRebates.com/Challenge for more information.