thoughts on the news of the day: obesity

hmmm…..

            I have a question for you this morning:  Should good health be preached from the pulpit?  Rev. Michael O. Minor thinks that it should.  He is a pastor in the Mississippi Delta and is combating in a battle against obesity.  He has replaced fried, greasy and fattening foods with fruit and vegetable plates at the church socials and gatherings.  Rev. Minor  is encouraging each church in the National Baptist Convention to have a “health ambassador” by the year 2012. 

            All this talk about health in the pulpit is probably a good thing.  But is it biblical?  Certainly there were health laws in the Old Testament.  Pork was forbidden and it is laden with fat.  Milk products were limited to certain cooking which is probably a good thing.  But in the New Testament the restrictions on foods seem to be smashed to bits.  St. Paul said it was OK eat like the Gentiles and even Jesus ate the wheat out of the field on the Sabbath.

            Scripture also says that the body is a temple and that we should keep it holy and keeping our bodies fit would seem to be part of keeping them holy.  So maybe it is a good thing to talk about dieting at church.  I am still thinking about it, though.  I may talk about good health in the pulpit, but I know for sure that I won’t be preaching the gospel according to Jenny Craig, Nutri-Systems or Weight Watchers!!

            hmmm…..