Proverbs & The Nature of Fasting

From Proverbs today, we discussed the foundational teaching of the Bible of caring for the poor and needy. We went on to discuss how this central teaching is so often overlooked by Christians. And this is especially true during the season of Great Lent, where our focus can so easily turn inward, to obsess over rules, to keep track of our attendance at services, to become fixated on our own spiritual growth. But we see in Isaiah 58 that God mocks this notion that He desires our outward piety. Rather, God desires that we relieve the hunger in others. We concluded, then, with a discussion of why it is important for us to be part of the church community.