PITTSBURGH: Prayer Council issues call for prayer, fasting
Episcopal News Service. July 17, 2007 [071707-02]
Members of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh are being called to prayer and fasting during the months leading up to the diocese's convention November 2 and 3.
Responding to a resolution from the June 30 joint meeting of the Board of Trustees, Diocesan Council and Standing Committee, the Bishop's Prayer Council has issued a six-page "A Call to Prayer and Fasting."
In the introduction, the Rev. Mike Wurschmidt of Shepherd's Heart Fellowship in Uptown, an area of Pittsburgh, laid out a schedule of four diocesan fasts July 22-24, August 26-28, September 23-28 and Oct. 30 to Nov. 1.
"We know there is much brokenness and division in our church and in our diocese," wrote Wurschmidt. "Many decisions will be made in the not so distant future and we must seek God. We must repent of our sins and the sins of the whole church. We must cry out to the Lord for wisdom, guidance and for the next generation."
Wurschmidt recounts the biblical basis for fasting and notes that fasting is not an end to itself, or automatically spiritual beneficial.
"Jesus teaches us the proper way to fast," he wrote. "We read in Matthew 6:16-18 that fasting is done not for show, but to seek God's face… Humility, repentance and being alone with God are all part of true fasting and prayer."
The Bishop's Prayer Council suggests that individuals and parishes join the fasts. Wurschmidt's letter lays out spiritual and physical guidelines for each of the fasts, including Bible chapters to study and questions to ask in that study.