Embodied: Part 3 - 'Nourishment'
This Sunday, Rob Lea brings us the talk in the latest of our EBC services. We encourage you to reflect on the bible text and join us in the prayer that follows below.
Here are some questions to consider:
Readings:
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIVUK)
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your bodies.
Romans 12: 1 - 2a
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Prayer and Reflection:
Lord God, we thank You for life. Thank You for giving us sound minds and bodies. We acknowledge that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit who lives in us and was given to us by You.
Please forgive us for not taking good care of our bodies; for those activities and habits that have been detrimental to our health including smoking, excessive drinking, poor eating habits, and not exercising.
Lord, help us to be good stewards over our bodies, and because we realize that the food we put in our bodies can impact our mental, emotional, physical and spiritual capabilities, we assert that with your help we will improve our eating habits, and we will include exercise in our daily activities.
And Lord we commit to getting the proper amount of rest each night when we lie down to sleep. We will sleep in peace; for You alone will keep us safe. We boldly declare that we will live the rich and satisfying life that Jesus Christ came to give us.
AMEN
Questions to Consider
1. Do you accept the idea that as Christians, we have a duty of good stewardship over our God-given bodies? If you do, what are your reasons for so thinking?
2. What does good stewardship over our bodies look like, ‘day-to-day’?
3. In his letter to the Corinthian Church, the apostle Paul writes, ‘you are not your own; you were bought at a price’. Explain what he means by, ‘you were bought at a price’.
4. Why is the obesity pandemic more damaging and catastrophic than Covid 19?
5. What are the medical conditions that are caused by obesity and poor diet?
6. What are the reasons for people taking much more care about the fuel that they put into their cars than the fuel they put into their body?
7. What is the prime objective for major food manufacturers, profit or nutrition? What are your reasons for believing one or the other?
8. Can you explain how food additives affect your health? Do you read food labels before you purchase manufactured food products? Does it really Matter?
Resources