“Media Fasting: Six Weeks to Recharge in Christ”
Sister Nancy Usselmann, Pauline Books & Media US (2025)
176 pages, $13.50
Have you ever berated yourself for falling down an online “rabbit hole” and losing precious time? I know I have. My initial intentions would be good. Seeking some background music to listen to while working, I would go on YouTube where, thanks to the algorithm, the title of an unrelated video would catch my eye and down the rabbit hole I’d go, clicking from one video to another.
Giving into the pull of clickbait usually leaves me feeling annoyed with myself. Whether your rabbit hole is a social media app, online news or just a quest for information or entertainment, I’m guessing that the experience isn’t unique to me and you know exactly what I’m talking about.
That’s why Sister Nancy Usselmann’s new book, “Media Fasting: Six Weeks to Recharge in Christ” is so timely. The book encourages readers to do a deep dive into how they use media and discern how God might be calling them to improve their habits through a fast.
Sister Nancy explains, “The goal of the book is to lead readers on a journey to discover Christ in and through their media, to develop virtue, and make good choices in the digital environments they inhabit. In order to live our faith today, we must integrate it within our daily experiences and decisions, many of which are made in the digital realm.”
“Media Fasting” consists of two parts. The first asks readers to reflect on how they may be spiritually drained due to some of their media practices. After explaining the purpose of fasting in general, Sister Nancy leads the reader through the steps of making a “media fast plan.”
Prayer and discernment are key. You may be drawn to do a complete media fast for six weeks. Perhaps you want to fast only on weekends due to the need to use media for work. Maybe a 24-hour fast every so often is what you need most. If you’re not sure the best way to engage in the fast, a sample fasting plan is provided.
Part two helps the reader spiritually recharge with the help of daily reflections centered around weekly themes. These include “paring down to the essentials,” “choosing the good life,” being “media mindful,” and “creating communion.” Each day’s meditation includes a guiding Scripture passage, reflection, media challenge and prayer. At the end of each week, the reader is urged to check in with their media fasting plan. How is it going and how might it need to be tweaked or renewed due to that week’s prayerful reflection?
“Media Fasting” contains many other gems apart from the two main sections of the book. The foreword by “The Chosen” actor, Jonathan Roumie, helps us to realize we’re not alone in needing to take a deep look at our media.
He says, “As I continue to surrender my own life and career to a deeper relationship with Christ, the demands of that career have inevitably led me to become more reliant on building social media platforms that reach many in order to glorify his message. I have not been exempted from the ‘swipe and scroll’ epidemic that consumes more of my time than I both realize and like to admit.”
The appendices of “Media Fasting” provide many helpful resources on the reality of media addiction and pornography, media prayers and spiritual media practices such as praying the news and an “examination of conscience for my online life.”
No matter how you choose to use the book, the ultimate goal is a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. Sister Nancy explains her hope for those who engage in the fast. She says, “God wants to be part of every aspect of our lives, and that includes our media experience. Grace is present everywhere and Jesus can work through the digital storytelling we engage with daily. Media fasting changes the way we see our relationship with God, the world, the media, and ourselves by focusing us on spiritual disciplines that free us from addictions, open us to grace, and set us on the path to holiness of life.”
“Media Fasting: Six Weeks to Recharge in Christ” is available through Pauline Books and Media starting Feb. 1, 2025.
Sister Hosea Rupprecht, a Daughter of St. Paul, is the associate director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies.