Two-hundred and eighty-six

Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you? Don’t you know that you have the Holy Spirit from God, and you don’t belong to yourselves? You have been bought and paid for, so honour God with your body.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (CEB)

Two-hundred and Eighty-Six. That's how many pounds are hanging on this sixty-six inch frame. Does that alarm you?


As a pastor, If I were to tell you that I was struggling with drug addiction would you be concerned? If I were to blog here that I'm struggling with pornography would it bother you? If I confessed to being a smoker would you be calling the first board of elder's member you could find in the church directory to lodge a complaint about me as a leader? I imagine that you would - and if I were in your hypothetical shoes I probably would too. So why is it that gluttony and sloth (the two families of sins that most commonly contribute to someone becoming as obese as me) get a free pass on the list of sins that concern us in our leaders?


I'm not looking for someone to come alongside and berate me and tell me what a horrible person I am in this - I'm a sinner saved by grace and I'm acutely aware of my own depravity and need of grace but I bring this up because for some reason we give certain sinful behaviours a free pass and others we come down so hard on that I wonder if we believe that grace is even possible.


Why do we treat unrepentant homosexuals as abominations yet invite the fat guy chowing down on his third plateful of food at the church potluck to be an Elder? What is the difference between these sins? Are they not both condemned as sinful in scripture? Are they both not contrary to God's will for humanity? Why do we treat one group as less than human and turn a blind eye to the other?


I live by grace - and I believe that Christ's grace is sufficient for me - but as I taught recently at church, grace always comes with a call to live differently. Whether it was Peter's call to shepherd the flock of God or the woman caught in adultery receiving a call to righteousness (go and sin no more). I believe that Grace calls me to not waste the second chances that I have received and to live differently. Personally I think there is a call for me in the words of Peter in his first epistle:


You have wasted enough time doing what unbelievers desire—living in their unrestrained immorality and lust, their drunkenness and excessive feasting and wild parties, and their forbidden worship of idols.

1 Peter 4:3 (CEB)

I need to fix what is wrong with me and in the power of the Holy Spirit take control of the things that have control of me. I need to do what it takes to overcome my weaknesses and walk in the grace that God has extended to me. That is why I'm going public with this - I can't do it alone. I am committing to weekly updates on my battle with the bulge in this blog. I give you permission to harass me (in love) and ask me what I'm doing to respond to the call Christ has given me and I'm asking you to hold me to a higher standard as your leader (those of you reading this from EAC) - not as a man who is perfect - but as a man who is following after Christ. 2 Summers ago I managed to drop 46 lbs without any fad diets - just by living sensibly. Let's see if this year I can do better.


Thanks for indulging me in this and we'll see what I title next week's blog. 


Until later,
Chris