Daily Reflection
St. John's Church, Lafayette Square
May 20, 2020
Dear St. John's Community,

The title of this email is "Easter Fast." You may have thought it a typo (as compared to "Easter Feast"!) The phrase comes from Cynthia Bourgeault, the Episcopal priest, teacher and author.

She writes:

"A fast is not about penitence and beating up on yourself. That's a very medieval attitude that totally distorts the meaning of fasting. A fast is really training—exactly like athletic training—so that our whole embodied being can be tuned up to support a spiritual aim we wish to achieve."

Her point is that the fifty days of Easter (known as "Eastertide") were for the disciples a time of training to recognize Christ. He appeared to them over and over, and it takes them some practice to recognize. When they do, they grow spiritually.

As Bourgeault puts is:

"They have come to understand that their attuned hearts are the instruments of recognition and that these same attuned hearts will bind them to their risen Lord moment by moment and forever. They have finally located their inner homing beacon."

Tomorrow is the Feast of the Ascension, which comes forty days after Easter. (We'll celebrate it on Sunday as well). Jesus rises from the earth before the eyes of the disciples. The Easter Fast is nearly over. The training wheels are about to come off as we get ready to welcome the Holy Spirit at Pentecost!

God's peace,
Rob+

Our service from yesterday is available here. Experience it again, or for the first time.
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St. John's Church, Lafayette Square
1525 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 347-8766