Lenten Fast

Wednesday, March 5th - Saturday, April 19th

Dear Hope Astoria,

Lent is a season of 40 days (excluding Sundays) leading up to Easter, observed by many Christians as a time of spiritual renewal, reflection, and preparation for celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Rooted in the biblical themes of repentance and discipleship, Lent echoes Jesus’ 40 days of fasting in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11) and calls believers to focus on deepening their relationship with God.

From Wednesday, March 5th through Saturday, April 19th, 2025 we are calling our entire church to join in on this season of fasting. If you are new to fasting or simply need to refresh your understanding of fasting, please check out these Fasting Resources. As we prepare for this time, we are asking each of you to talk to the Lord and discern how He is inviting you to engage in the spiritual discipline of fasting during the season of Lent.

While practices vary among Christians, Lent is often marked by prayer and fasting. With respect to fasting, followers of Jesus fast during this season in order to humble our souls before God. Unlike popular forms of fasting in our day, Christians fast to draw near to God, not for health benefits or other purposes. They replace their meal times with studying Scripture, praying by themselves and with other Christians. Some even choose to feed the poor during their fast.

Though fasting is rigidly defined as not eating food, how you practice fasting can vary. Perhaps God will lead some folks to fast a particular meal during the day for forty days, or perhaps God will lead some to fast one day a week during Lent. In addition to fasting, many people are led to abstain from certain things such as TV, social media or specific foods. Our goal is not to be prescriptive on how you should fast, but rather our goal is to invite each of you to discern how God is leading you to fast as we join together in a time of collective obedience to the Lord’s leading.

Regardless of the type of fasting Christians engage with, if done from a clear Biblical foundation, fasting can be a very transformative practice. By choosing to feed our spirits, rather than tending to our physical hunger and desires, fasting serves to bring our appetites under the Lordship of Jesus. We become people that are driven by the Word of God and the presence of God.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ frees us from the tendency to try and achieve God’s love, while centering our hearts on receiving what Jesus freely offers us through his grace. Being centered on good news of Jesus allows us to resist the tendency to practice fasting in a ritualistic manner. During Lent the focus of our fasting is the grace of God and the transforming power of God’s freely given love. We don’t fast out of obligation, rather we fast in order to realign our hearts with God’s will. Because Lent carries us into Easter Sunday, we also use this time to prepare our hearts to celebrate the victory of Christ’s resurrection. Ultimately, Lent is not about earning God’s favor through an act of denial. It is about responding to God’s freely given grace with hearts that have been made alive by Christ. During our times of prayer, confession and fasting, Lent can be a powerful season of spiritual renewal in Christ.

With love,

Pastor Kris

Resources:

  • Small Groups
    Our spiritual life is not meant to be lived solo! We encourage you to check out a small group to get to learn and pray together with others during this special season. There’s nothing like the encouragement of friends to help you persevere in your desire for God, and diverse perspectives bring to spur our growth during this time. Whether you are new to faith or a longtime Christian, and whether you’ve been coming for a long time or this is your first week at Hope Astoria, all are warmly welcome! Simply contact any group leader for meeting details, and to join in!  See our list of groups here!

  • Questions?
    If you have any questions, Pastor Kris and Pastor Denise are glad to hear from you. Please feel free to reach out to either of us (contact us buttons are on our staff page).