A Daniel fast is like a hyper-vegan fast. It’s a partial fast (you don’t fast all food) and is modeled after the ways Daniel fasted in Daniel 1 and 10. This page has a good description of what the fast is about. In this fast, you only eat whole foods (not processed white flour/rice products) that come from the ground and only drink water.

The Daniel fast is good for times that you need energy and can’t fast from all food. The downside is that it doesn’t free up time for prayer like a normal fast. You have to be intentional and set aside time for prayer. I also try to use the extra time prepping food to pray. And when I find myself craving a certain food, I pray a simple breath prayer like “Father, I want your will to be my food.” Or “Lord, have mercy.”

Prayer and fasting are a dynamic duo.

Here are some tips from my experience with Daniel fasting…

1. Select a start and end date. This is especially important for your first time. It will help you when you want to stop.
2. Before your start day, make a meal plan for the first few days and go shopping. Otherwise you’ll start, not know what to eat, and want to give up.
3. Get used to reading ingredient labels. If a label has a bunch of weird stuff added, don’t eat it.  This will take some getting used to. You’ll be amazed what you learn! Some ingredients like Citric Acid and some chlorides (salts) are OK….they are natural ingredients.
4. Eating out is just plain tricky. Subway is easy…just get salad. At other restaurants, ask the server for a salad with nothing but veggies. Bring your own homemade salad dressing.
5. Make a plan for time spent in prayer and listening. Invite some others over for group prayer.
6. Don’t get hung up on the details. It’s better to fast for the first time and not it get it all right than to not try at all. Fasting is a skill you have to learn by doing.

Here is a list of helpful sites for recipe ideas:

• http://www.ultimatedanielfast.com/
• http://www.christ-web.com/missions/farho/daniel-fast-recipes (this one has simple recipes)
• http://www.scribd.com/doc/24869666/Daniel-Fast-Recipes-2010
• http://northsidecitychurch.com/pdf/danfastrec.pdf
• http://www.saintjohn.net/GSJC_Daniel_Fast_Cookbook.pdf (never used this one…too complex :)

We have a few lists on our fridge that are helpful reminders of what to eat for a snack or what to put on a salad.

Salads: Lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, red onions, carrots, broccoli, celery, black beans, garbanzo beans, tortilla chips, corn, peanuts, walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, avocado, raisins and homemade dressing.

Snacks: Apples (with peanut butter), pears, bananas (with peanuts), grapes, oranges, raisins (with peanuts), popcorn (made on stove), chips and salsa, sunflower seeds, blueberries, carrots, rice cakes (with peanut butter, raisins or banana), homemade flatbread with oil and red wine vinegar dip.

I’ve really enjoyed fasting in community One of our friends suggested that we make larger quantities of food and share with each other. That was a great idea!

Do you have other tips on Daniel fasting?  Could you see yourself trying a Daniel fast?

(Fruits and veggies stand pic from nialkennedy’s photostream. Creative Commons.)

Until about three years ago. I’m not exactly sure what changed. I think that part of the shift was reading Dallas Willard’s Spirit of the Disciplines. Willard has a radical perspective on spiritual disciplines and spiritual growth: Perhaps we simply cannot follow the teachings of Jesus without also following his practices like prayer, fasting, solitude and silence. This is deep, very deep. And the rabbit hole goes deeper if you apply that to ministry practices as well. But I digress.

My wife and I also were processing ministry vision shifts…we sensed God moving us into a new season of life, but weren’t sure what to do about it. It seemed that fasting would be a good start.

So I started with simple fasts…fasting pop and desserts for lent, a day food fast, a weekend food fast. I found an older missionary to mentor me over email…she pointed to resources and also helped me process what was happening. I was able to work up to a long fast…close to 40 days. (I’m not a legalist or literalist :).  I was hoping to only drink water, but I needed energy to play with my two energetic boys! So I juiced instead. Last summer I tried a Daniel fast…only eating foods naturally from the ground and only drinking water.

One of the most important insights I have learned is that fasting and prayer should be married together. Fasting by itself is just a diet. Many folks I see fasting during lent are dieting from something, not fasting. Fasting is like a house’s foundation, prayer the house itself. Fasting holds up and focuses both prayer and worship.

Willard writes, “fasting confirms our utter dependence of God by finding in him a sustenance beyond food. Through it we learn by experience that God’s word to us is a life substance, that it is not  food (“bread”) alone that gives life, but also the words that proceed from the mouth of God (Matt 4:4)…Fasting unto our Lord is therefore feasting – feasting on him and on doing his will.”

A very simple way to do this is to replace the time freed up by fasting to pray. This works well for full food fasts. With partial fasts like a Daniel fast or other fasts, you have to be more proactive…intentionally leaving more time for prayer and listening during the day.

Some friends and I have been planning fasts together. Over the next week or two,  I’ll write more specifically about different kinds of fasts I’ve experienced and helpful resources.

I’d love to hear others’ experiences with fasting too…especially if you have insights about how to keep a fast from becoming just a diet.

One thing I’m sure of…fasting will need to be a common practice for contrast communities trying to live out both the teachings AND practices of Jesus in our do-what-feels-good culture.

(“A Table” image by toastforbrekkie. This fine photographer has no idea what I’m writing here… I’m just using the pic under the Creative Commons License. :)

When we moved from Hammond to Pasadena for a year, I did a comparison of living in Chicago-land and LA-land. So here are my thoughts on the difference between living in Hammond and CP.

Hammond: congested I80/94

CP: Wide open I65

Hammond: Most cars stop for bikers and walkers crossing the street.

CP: My kids and I have come close get getting run over a few times!

Hammond : Lots of ethnic AND socio-economic diversity

CP: Little (but more than I expected) ethnic diversity and a whole lot of socio-economic diversity (the gap between rich and lower-middle class is huge in CP neighborhoods).

Hammond: Downtown on life-support

CP – Downtown alive

Hammond: 5 minutes drive from most stores

CP: 20 minutes from most stores

Hammond: Gas price X

CP: Gas price X+20 cents

Hammond: Mostly old man bars

CP: A good micro-brew, other good hang outs AND lots of old man bars.

Hammond: Might see a guy and girl kissing in public.

CP: Might see two girls kissing in downtown CP.  

Hammond: Traditional American Christian religious diversity

CP: Traditional American Christian religious diversity+ a Mosque, a Hindu temple and a Hindu mission agency

Hammond: Loud background noise = cars, trains and expressways

CP: Loud background noise = ambulances (near the hospital) and CRICKETS!!!

Hammond: 35 minutes from downtown Chicago in decent traffic

CP: An hour and 15 minutes….and that’s a big difference when you have kids!

We’re really enjoying being in CP, but we do miss many things about Hammond, especially our neighbors and our old, historic house. Our hope is to see the Kingdom of God come in all of Lake County, and for now we’re focusing on doing life and being Jesus’ followers in Crown Point.

When I think of what Easter means for Regionites, I think about how God is all about family too. He loves families (he made them), he loves all people, and he longs for all of his kids to come home.

One of Jesus’ most striking beliefs about God was that God is our Father. (Actually, “Daddy” or “Papa” are closer to the word Jesus used for God.)  Jesus taught his apprentices to pray to the “Daddy in Heaven” and showed them that relationship to the Papa and forgiveness of other brothers and sisters was central to spiritual health and life in God’s family.

Jesus also taught that people are naturally far from home and can’t or won’t find their way back. We are estranged from our Daddy in heaven and don’t know the way home. On our own, we don’t talk with him, take his advice, or live according to his family principles. We harm other children and the world around us. We have dishonored him by making our own life and family apart from him. This estrangement is one part of what the Christian scriptures call sin. A close relationship with our Papa has been severed and this results in broken relationship with other people and the whole creation.

But Easter is the opening of the front door and the call for everyone to come home. Our Daddy stands on the steps of his house and calls out “Welcome Home!” to all those that return. This is because Jesus the Messiah, through his life, death and resurrection, made a way for our relationship with God to be reconciled. Jesus himself is the way home. Those that go home with him and stop following their own way receive forgiveness of sin and a fresh start through Jesus’ death. They are made new and given new life through Jesus’ resurrection. They are put back in the living room of God’s house, brought back into God’s family with brothers and sisters and given a mission to restore the world.

So to all my fellow Regionites, (and everyone else too,) this Easter, will you go home? Not to your family’s Easter party, but to your Heavenly Papa’s house? It’s the family you were made for. The front door is open wide. Jesus is waiting to bring you into God’s family.

But the more I read the scriptures, the more I’m convinced that Jesus wants our land…and the neighborhoods, towns, cities, counties, states, and countries that are on the land.

He wants people too for sure. He’s after restoring broken relationships –with himself and others–, adopting people into God’s family, making people right through his cross and resurrection. Humans are definitely the pinnacle of God’s creation and please don’t hear me say otherwise. But we can’t stop with people….Jesus wants his land back too.

Here are a couple glimpses into this in the scriptures….

The Garden in Genesis –  Adam and Eve were given a job…make the rest of the earth, all the land, look just like the garden. They were we supposed to be master gardeners, excavators, builders, architects, and environmental stewards. They were the societal planning committee. But that all went south with their rejection of God as king.

The Lord’s Prayer – “Father…let your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.” Jesus could have said “let your kingdom come in people…” But he didn’t. Jesus wants the kingdom of heaven to be intimately intertwined with the physical space of the earth.

The New Earth and New Jerusalem – The closing chapters of the scriptures show a renewed planet…not a bunch of disembodied spirits. I remember sitting  a The Purple Steer, a family restaurant near me, with my wife and a friend who isn’t a follow of Jesus. We were talking about this picture of the end of history. (Or the beginning, depending on how you look at it). He was shocked. He was used to the Christian image of people floating around with harps in heaven. He thought what we were saying sounded more like a sci-fi movie. Indeed it does.

I think this has huge implications. Here are just a few:

If you are not a follower of Jesus yet, much of how you understand Jesus’ message from churches and TV “preachers” is probably twisted. Jesus is about restoring all thing–our inner selves, our relationships and the actual world around us. His message is just simply not about going to heaven when you die.

If you are a follower of Jesus, how much of your time and effort goes into seeing God’s kingdom come in the physical world? In an age of entertainment media, online connectedness and social media, I fear that we have lost sight of what God is up to…redeeming and restoring all things. If Jesus’ followers are spending much of their time connecting with people they rarely see in person (some online social media) and amusing themselves in worlds that don’t exist (TV and movies), how can we say that we are joining God in mission?

Lastly, I believe the church, the ecclesia, is intimately connected to physical space…to neighborhoods, towns, counties, regions and countries. Perhaps one reason the “gates of hell” ARE “overcoming the church” is because the “local church” is simply not the ecclesia anymore. Groups of followers of Jesus need to re-orientate themselves around physical geopolitical boundaries for the sake of seeing the kingdom of God “come on earth.”

Is this an overstatement?

Of course, you can learn a lot about football by watching it and even more by going to a lecture about how to play. But in the end, only actually playing the game will be true training.

Recently, I’ve heard an analogy that is trying to work a football analogy in a missional church direction. It goes something like this:

Church meetings are like huddles in a football game. We gather together to huddle, hear from the coach, get organized and then go out in our week to play the “game” of mission in the world.

This is a fantastic move in the right direction. At least the point is to get off the bench or worse, get out of the stand.

But, I wonder if that image is incomplete because, as it often works out, there is no common team to defeat. Each is trying to defeat a team in their own world as a single player. One person leaves the huddle and tries to defeat the Rams, another the Packers and still another the Raiders. At it’s core, it is basically individualistic.

In football, and I believe in God’s view of the Church-as-family (Eph. 2:19 and many more) and Church-as-offense (Matt. 16:18), the opponent is local, spacial and common. Early followers of Jesus were identified by the city in which they lived on mission, followed by regional identity. Somehow, the evil spiritual realms organize themselvesby geo-political spaces too (Daniel 10 and Eph 6). Today’s believers gathered in various expressions of the Church should have a common mission in a common space.  They are all to be working together in the power of the Spirit to follow Jesus’ ways of healing and announcing the kingdom. Alan Hirsch calls this community-on-mission Communitas and this is absolutely critical for a missional minsitry.

Working this out in real life, I encourage leaders to mobilize groups of Jesus’ followers in specific missional spaces. Most communities like a college campus or whole cities self-organize into life “spaces.” On a residential campus, it is often dorms. In geographical areas, neighborhoods seem to be the smallest space, followed by towns and then counties. But we grow ministry from the smallest spaces up, not from the larger down.

Other spaces are places people work and where they hang out.

I want nothing more than for God’s family, the Church, to see the unstoppable power that Jesus promised. I want to see the Kingdom of God spread like a mustard plant and change hearts everywhere…starting with mine…and change whole campuses, towns and regions! And I have come to believe that moving from spectator to huddle to team is going to be critically vital to seeing this happen today.

“Jesus said, “How can I describe the Kingdom of God? What story should I use to illustrate it? It is like a mustard seed planted in the ground. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of all garden plants; it grows long branches, and birds can make nests in its shade.” (Mark 4:30-32).

I grew up in church and often heard this parable of Jesus. I don’t think I ever wondered what a mustard seed grew into. I just assumed that the mustard seed was something like an acorn which grows into a huge oak tree. (C’mon. I’m from the Midwest. Forests are where birds hang out, right?) Jesus’ kingdom is like a huge oak tree – sturdy, strong, wind and storm proof, the tallest of trees.

Couple huge problems with that image…One, Jesus is talking about a garden, not a forest. Two, mustard plants grow 10 feet max, and they are often only 3 or 4 feet. Mustard is no oak tree. And mustard is invasive which means that once you get it in your garden, it’s next to impossible to get out.

I have an invasive plant in our flower beds. It’s me against that crazy plant every summer. It grows 3 feet tall and has a cute little purple flower on the top. But I don’t WANT it there. I’ve tried everything to get rid of it….cutting them down (plural….they pop out everywhere), pulling them out, pouring poison on them, and calling them names. Nothing seems to work. I took one of the stalks (is that what you call it?) to the local landscape and garden center. They couldn’t help, shook their head and said, “Good luck” with a “yeah, right” smile.

That’s more like a mustard plant.

I wonder if this slight shift in perspective is more important that we might first think. Viewing God’s kingdom as an invasive garden plant that can’t be stopped is MUCH different than oak tree theology.

I subscribe to a “conservative” Christian political email update as well as Sojourners, a more “liberal” Christian political update. I’m not sure I want to throw in my towel with either side. But one thing that drives me up a wall about the conservative one is the “kingdom as an oak tree” perspective. I’m all for using our voice and influence to change culture. That’s part of the cultural mandate in Genesis 1 and 2. But the spirit and tone behind some of the updates sound more like a diseased oak tree that’s being cut down than a mustard plant that knows if you cut down one stalk, another will pop up.

And there are many, many more life and ministry implications of an oak tree perspective.

The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed and it can’t be stopped, even if someone tries. But might Western Christianity actually be stopped if it continues to view itself as a mighty oak instead of a mustard plant? I don’t hope for that, but I do wonder.

I led an interactive teaching recently with a group of students from Isaiah 9:6-7.  One of the songs in Handel’s Messiah is about this prophecy:

“For a child is born to us,
a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor,Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His government and its peace
will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David
for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
will make this happen. (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Over the past several years, I have been blown away by much how Jesus talked about his government.  He used the word “kingdom,” instead of “government,” but, he was talking about his government. A kingdom is simply the “dome” where a king has power and authority. Jesus came with a simple message: The kingdom (government) of God is near. Repent and believe the good news.”

This passage in Isaiah made me wonder if there were any similarities between following Jesus and entering into God’ Kingdom, and becoming a citizen of a contemporary government like the USA. I was surprised by what I found and used this comparison to invite students to enter the kingdom of God. Here is my comparison:

To become a citizen of the USA, someone first has to hear about the country and the possibility of citizenship. To become a citizen of God’s kingdom, someone has to first hear about citizenship in God’s kingdom –  that God’s kingdom exists and God wants all people in his kingdom, his family.

To become a citizen of the USA, someone must simply desire to become a citizen. Similarly, to become a citizen of God’ kingdom, someone starts by wanting to become a citizen.

To become a citizen of the USA, a person has to get an application and learn the basics of  American history and contemporary politics.  To become a citizen of God’s kingdom, a person has to learn the basics of God through Jesus and his teachings. Often, people do this by being around other citizens of God’s kingdom and reading the Christian scriptures.

To become a citizen of the USA, a person must turn in an application, be interviewed, and pass a test . To become a citizen of God’s kingdom, the application, interview and test are all through prayer. A person simply talks to God directly in Jesus’ name. And God receives all who come to him through Jesus the Messiah.

To become a citizen of the USA, a person makes their citizenship public by making an oath at a public ceremony – revoking allegiances to other countries and swearing allegiance to the USA.  To become a citizen of God’s kingdom, someone similarly makes a public oath through baptism and other public declarations – revoking allegiances to others and swearing alliance to Jesus.

The result of citizenship in the USA is a a certificate. A person’s Green Card is replaced with a Naturalization Certificate.The result of citizenship in God’s kingdom is the Holy Spirit. The old sinful nature is replaced with the Holy Spirit and a person is a full citizen in God’s Kingdom, his family.

This comparison breaks down at some points. For most folks, the last several steps on the journey all happen at once. (Although more and more I find folks that weren’t baptized and /or don’t know about the Holy Spirit.) And this picture of entering into God’s kingdom is just one of the images used by Jesus. Most of all, this is very much the human perspective of the story and could look too human-centered and too analytical.

What was helpful about this comparison is that people were able to discuss in smaller groups where they thought they were in the process of coming into God’s kingdom. Also, the imagery of allegiance makes the cost of following Jesus more concrete.

What do you think about this comparison? Do you find it helpful in understanding the gospel? Why or why not?

(Naturalization picture – Grand Canyon NPS, “Naturalization Ceremony Grand Canyon 20100923mq_0568,” 9-24-2010
(c) Creative Commons Attribution via flickr stream.)

1) Indiana Dunes State Park in Chesterton- Not so much for the beach, but for the hiking trails. Hike the whole park (trail 10 to 2) and you’ll see miles of sand dunes, forests, and prairie. Definitely worth the long trip.

2) Imagination Glen Park in Portage – Again, not so much for the playgrounds and sport fields, but for the mountain biking trails. A partnership between Portage and the Outback Trail Commission has resulted in the best mountain biking trails in the area. The trails wind along a creek, climb up  and down good sized bluffs, and are all around the best biking NWI has to offer. Occasionally, I see a hiker.

3)  Oak Ridge Prairie in Griffith – Hmmm, I’m beginning to see that I like to hike a lot and get away from civilization :). The trails at Oak Ridge head back into forests and marshlands.  The sledding hill is the best in the area that I know of, the fishing pond adds to the ambiance, and the kids love watching the airplanes take off from Griffith Airport. Take a small hike and there is an elevated deck to watch the Griffith Airport runway.

4) West Beach in Gary – I don’t think I’m an expert on beaches. Maybe someone else can leave good comments with their expertise. My fam usually ends up at West Beach because it’s closer than the State Park in Chesterton.

5) Erie-Lakawana Trail in Hammond, Highland, Griffith, Schererville and Crown Point – This is a decent bike trail. Some parts are more scenic than others. The new section behind Caleba’s is a must-see. It links the Hammond and Highland trails and winds by a decent pond (where more and more people are fishing) and by the Little Calumet River several times. Other than the goose crap on the trail, it’s really the most beautiful section of the bike path.

6) Little Calumet Levee Trail in Hammond, Highland and Gary – This is unknown gem. I’ve never seen anyone on it. The trail follows the river through sections of Highland and Gary that I didn’t know existed.  Heading east, the trail seems to end after Cline Ave by Bulkmatic. Just pick up your bike and hop the tracks. The trail picks up on the other side. This trail is all crushed gravel, so you’ll need something other than a road bike with small tires. My link here is to a NWI biking trail map and this trail is marked in blue.

7) Carlson-Oxbrow Park in Hammond – This little migrating bird sanctuary is right next to the roaring 80/94. Lots of people fish here and it’s great for bird watching. Now that the Little Calumet River Levee is built, there is another good sized body of water here where the Little Cal is pretty wide. Even though there is some evidences that fools with too much time on their hands still visit here, it’s great for a quick escape into nature.

8) Little Calumet River in the Region – Boomers like my folks and my in-laws say I’m crazy, but I think that we’ll start to see more people using the Little Cal. Since the spring, I’ve been thinking of finding a small boat and taking my boys on it. Just last month, I saw a group of 5 canoes and 10 guys heading east from near Cabela’s. They said you can travel about 5 miles to Chase Street before you have portage. I think more people are going to get this idea and boat on the Little Cal, whether or not we’ll become mutants because of the contaminants in the water.

9) Gibson Woods in Hammond – This is a small county park that has about 2.5 miles of hiking in it. Sometimes the gates are closed, but there is usually a broken section in the fence somewhere nearby. It has a decent nature center and place for bird watching.

I think that’s all I have. I’d love to hear from any others in NWI who have a favorite outdoors spot!

Tonight was our second neighborhood party and it was a blast! We’re planning on making it a bi-annual thing. I can’t describe how amazing it is to see neighbors coming out of their houses and talking for more than 2 minutes (the norm in our neighborhood). Some have been on the block for 20 years.  Some have just moved in. I’ve seen reconciliation happen when folks talk face to face with a stranger-neighbor and also saw plain ole relaxation and fun.

Alan Hirsch calls our living spaces “first spaces.” When looking at our relational networks, the first space is the place we live, the “second place” our work place, and “third space” the place that we “play.” Here’s how we threw two neighborhood parties, in our “first space,” that should evolve into a bi-annual party rhythm (with hopefully other good connections in between!)

1) We gained a heart for blessing our neighborhood. If we, as followers of Jesus, suddenly had to move, would our neighbors care or notice our absence? How are we seeking the good of our neighborhood? That is our only “agenda.”

2) I talked with two neighbors that I knew and tossed around the idea of having a neighborhood party. They both loved the idea. I said the purpose was something like, “neighborhoods are better and safer when neighbors know each other well.” There were also some folks involved with the community watch in the area. We found a date that our three households could make it and they became a party “core.” Even if no one else could come, three households could hang out and have a good time.

3) We printed flyers and put them in neighbor’s doors. Here is an example of our most recent flyer as a pdf or here as a publisher file. I’m not sure how many neighbors actually got these….I’m guessing 2/3. I wish there was a better way to invite people….door to door personal invites seemed too culture-cultural.

4) We made a small fire in our fire pit,  (which was a GREAT way to relax and have less social-awkwardness!), provided cold drinks (pop, water and just enough beer), s’more stuff, plates, napkins, name tags, and markers. The second party, we put an optional sheet out to write down name, address and phone #….to make inviting to the next party a little easier.

5) We had chairs and asked a few people who rsvp’ed (no rsvp required, though) to bring chairs.

6) We set up a bean bag game.

People brought food. At times, there was social awkwardness, but overall everyone really enjoyed themselves. It was totally worth it. That’s all it took.

I shouldn’t say “that’s all it took.” There were quite a few internal barriers….why are we doing this?, what if no once else comes? (a good reason to talk with a few people first), what will happen next?, what about people who choose not to come? what are we going to talk about with people? ….and many more questions.

But that’s how we started neighborhood parties. I’d be curious to hear from others who throw parties….how did you start and what else do you do?