Comments on: [Healthy Living] The Heresy We Love

By: Rick Lawrence

Rick Lawrence — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 17:17:42 +0000

In reply to Josh Myers. Josh, embedded in your response is something social scientists call The Stockdale Paradox. Jim Stockdale was an officer and prisoner-of-war in the infamous “Hanoi Hilton” during the Vietnam War. He was imprisoned for eight years, from 1965 to 1973 and was relentlessly and ruthlessly tortured. But he survived the experience, and the way that he survived has now been studied and taught around the world. The key to survival, Stockdale says, is this: “You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.” Your post “confronts our brutal reality” with a certainty that we must “prevail in the end.” We need both ends of the paradox.

By: Josh Myers

Josh Myers — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 17:06:18 +0000

Rick,
I am so glad that you shared this. I agree with some of the above comments as well. While being over weight is not the only issue, it is one of the most visible and therefore something all people around us see. I feel this is an issue of being a good steward of what God has given us, our bodies included.
If we are overweight, out of shape and unhealthy we are going to severely limit our ability to be used by God as we are tied to our food addictions, constantly fatigued, not clear minded, lacking energy, no self control as well as possibly tied down with doctor appointments and medication to offset our unhealthy lifestyle.
I think it is crucial for pastors to set an example for their people of what a healthy lifestyle should entail and Christianity is holistic we must address physical, mental, spiritual and emotional health.
One thing that convinced me of the importance to take care of my body was several students and even my wife and others in the church who ask, “why are so many pastors so fat!” Is that really the image we want to portray to people? I think this is an important point for not just pastors but all Christians in America where obesity and the many health related side effects are rapidly on the rise year by year.
I have made it a point to eat healthy, even at youth events. I also work out at least 5 times a week and to ensure i do not cut into ministry or family time I go to the gym early in the morning and also spend my time as I get ready for prayer and devotions. There is a strong connection between getting in shape physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Josh Myers

By: Rick Lawrence

Rick Lawrence — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 01:28:36 +0000

In reply to Sheila Allen.

Sheila,
Sorry for the missing print icon—you could simply print from your screen. If that’s too messy, I’d be happy to send you my original (it’s a Word document). Just email me at rlawrence@group.com.

By: Rick Lawrence

Rick Lawrence — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 01:27:14 +0000

In reply to Kevin Barnhouse. Thanks for investing serious time and thought in your response, Kevin. The main distinction of the Gnostics is that they saw human beings as compartmentalized, with one of those compartments less worthy than the other. It's a heresy because Jesus was fully God and fully man, and the Incarnation itself refutes Gnostic thinking. This is the primary thought here...

By: Sheila Allen

Sheila Allen — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 01:17:57 +0000

Rick,
Thank you so much for sharing how our spiritual life is connected to our physical life. If we’re not discipline in our spiritual life it will manifest itself in our everyday life. Right now I really need to be more discipline in the area of eating and exercising, but I haven’t been lately. I’m not in denial, just having a problem being consistent. I see it happening in my spiritual life too! When the connection is made and we ask the Lord for insight as the best way to tackle our lack of discipline and we can honor the Lord in our bodies that do not belong to us. I was wondering how I can print this article. I didn’t see a print icon. Thank you again and God bless you.

By: Kevin Barnhouse

Kevin Barnhouse — Mon, 11 Nov 2013 21:24:54 +0000

Actually Rick, most Gnostic sects were characterized by their asceticism (sometimes severe) rather than the libertine lifestyle you seem to have attributed to them. There are passages from Iranaeus that seem to confirm a more sexually promiscuous sect but many of them emphasizing portion control (fasting) and high protein intake (meat sacrificed to idols, lol). You see, the Gnostics’ real heresy was was a form of skeptical humanism. Instead disciplining their bodies for service in the church or in submission to God’s command, they worshipped what was in their own hearts through policy. And I’ll bet that after they acheived “fitness” according to their own standards, they felt compelled to share it for the purpose edifying others. Because the physical fallacy in Gnostic belief isn’t thinking too little about your physical body (which is a much less dangerous heresy), but rather thinking about it too much. Gnosticism probably had its roots in Judaism. But today we ate surround by Christians who tell us what is unclean on the sheet. We have many more examples of church fathers accepting the quirks and idiosyncrasies of our spirits having bodies, rather than admonishing believers for not having a lower BMI than Team Gnostic. Which of course brings us back to the startling and real difference between the Church Fathers and the Manichaens, when we remove this all too common policy-mongering from man’s most sovereign possession: his own body. That difference being obedience, of course. So please, if you’ve been commanded to make a physical change in your life or are not fit for the physical requirements of your position in the church, shape up. But if “Brother Ass” gets you back and forth to your job, your wife, your kids, your ministry, then let that donkey breathe, and give thanks for MSG. Don’t be afraid to enjoy the physical world around us. That’s Christian.

Sincerely,

A big old’ fat guy

P.S. I gave the writer a hard time cause I like showing off. What he was saying here is 90% righteous. Please ignore all the snark and sass if it doesn’t help you find that 10%. I know he wants you to enjoy the physical just as much as I do, and his advice was just that: advice. Pray always! Ciao!

By: Rick Lawrence

Rick Lawrence — Mon, 11 Nov 2013 21:00:43 +0000

In reply to Simon N.

Simon,
We can all relate to the story of the widow’s mite—we only-ever offer Him the smallest thing, but our “smallest thing” is often everything we have…

By: Rick Lawrence

Rick Lawrence — Mon, 11 Nov 2013 20:59:29 +0000

In reply to Barb Winters. Thanks for adding to the conversation by linking to your blog, Barb...

By: Rick Lawrence

Rick Lawrence — Mon, 11 Nov 2013 20:58:50 +0000

Shawn, we all normalize the heresies that work for us and demonize those that don’t. Thanks for leaning into “uncomfortable”—it’s an outward sign of an inner preference for courage…

By: Shawn

Shawn — Mon, 11 Nov 2013 19:46:08 +0000

I thought this article was about scriptural heresies that others lived out … in a genius way, Rick, you handed me a mirror to look at my own heresies. Thank you.

Though it was uncomfortable, I needed to read this today. Printing this one out!