Fasting advice

Hi brothers and sisters, could you advise on how to fast within the Anglican churches tradition please? Are there varieties of ways or a single way? Any help on permissible foods drinks, times to start and end etc. I'm talking in terms of a general weekly fast here rather than lent etc. Thanks in advance

Mark

 

I know sadly few Anglicans who fast anymore, as the 1662 Prayer Book expected, and more recent prayer books only suggest. Those who do fast typically follow the Roman Catholic rules, which are needlessly picky and over-precise as "laws of the Church" go, but are generally reasonable guidelines for fasting from food at least. As I understand it, one can summarize a typical fast day with the following rules:

1. no eating fleshmeat (fish is okay)
2. eat one normal-sized meal
3. have one or two smaller meals that don't equal a full meal
4. no snacking in between

If you want to get the Prayer Book, or liturgical, exposition of fasting, look at the Collect and traditional lessons for Ash Wednesday.

Almighty and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

• The Collect sets the context: fasting is a discipline we take on to battle the flesh, not a propitiatory sacrifice that wins God's favor
• Matthew 6:16-20ish (Gospel lesson from the Communion service, Jesus' teaching on fasting)
• Isaiah 58:1-12ish (OT lesson from Morning Prayer, true fasting is not just food abstinence but also with prayer and alms-giving)

There's also some excellent advice from George Herbert in A Priest to the Temple, or, the Country Parson, back in 1652. The quote is from chapter 10, emphases added.

The Parson in his house oserves fasting dayes; and particularly, as Sunday is his day of joy, so Friday his day of Humiliation, which he celebrates only with abstinence of diet, but also of company, recreation, and all outward contentments; and besides, with confession of sins, and all acts of Mortification.
Now fasting dayes containe a treble obligation; first, of eating lesse that day, then on other dayes; secondly, of eating no pleasing, or over-nourishing things, as the Israelites did eate sowre herbs: Thirdly, of eating no flesh, which is but the determination of the second rule by Authority to this particular. The two former obligations are much more essentiall to a true fast, then the third and last; and fasting dayes were fully performed by keeping of the two former, had not Authority interposed: so that to eat little, and that unpleasant, is the naturall rule of fasting, although it be flesh. For since fasting in Scripture language is an afflicting of our souls, if a peece of dry flesh at my table be more unpleasant to me, then some fish there, certainly to eat the flesh, and not the fish, is to keep the fasting day naturally. And it is observable, that the prohibiting of flesh came from hot Countreys, where both flesh alone, and much more with wine, is apt to nourish more then in cold regions, and where flesh may be much better spared, and with more safety then elsewhere, where both the people and the drink being cold and flegmatick, the eating of flesh is an antidote to both. For it is certaine, that a weak stomack being prepossessed with flesh, shall much better brooke and bear a draught of beer, then if it had taken before either fish, or rootes, or such things; which will discover it selfe by spitting, and rheume, or flegme.
To conclude, the Parson, if he be in full health, keeps the three obligations, eating fish, or roots, and that for quantity little, for quality unpleasant. If his body be weak and obstructed, as most Students are, he cannot keep the last obligation, nor suffer others in his house that are so, to keep it; but only the two former, which also in diseases of exinanition (as consumptions) must be broken: For meat was made for man, not man for meat. To all this may be added, not for emboldening the unruly, but for the comfort of the weak, that not onely sicknesse breaks these obligations of fasting, but sicklinesse also. For it is as unnatural to do any thing, that leads me to a sicknesse, to which I am inclined, as not to get out of that sicknesse, when I am in it, by any diet. One thing is evident, that an English body, and a Students body, are two great obstructed vessels, and there is nothing that is food, and not phisick, which doth lesse obstruct, then flesh moderately taken; as being immoderately taken, it is exceeding obstructive. And obstructions are the cause of most diseases.

 

Things about fasting:
(1) You don't get any credit for it, but it does have spiritual rewards. Patience, perseverence and self control all come better with practice. Be prepared to curb your irritability. Don't bawl out your wife and kids.
(2) Don't take it to extremes or do it if you already have medical problems which it might exacerbate.
(3) Dont drink either Hot or Cold liquids. Drink only luke warm water, it is less of a shock to your system. Do drink water, don't get dehydrated.
(4) If you engage in a three day or more fast, do not eat a large indigestible meal when breaking your fast. Scrambled eggs on toast, rather than a steak with all the trimmings. It will take a day or so for your digestive tract and bowels to 'get back in gear'.
(5) Be aware that your breath will smell like a polar bear's backside after and beyond a two day fast, until you eat again normally, so don't hold conversations in close proximity to others.
(6) If you want approval from God in your fast, keep it to yourself, don't advertise the fact.
(7) Expect your perception of reality to alter slightly but beware of hallucinations.
.