Thursday, April 15, 2004
worshipers and neglectors (link to the sermon itself)
seems an interesting and apropo topic as of late... the balance of the body and spirit and what that looks like. i've been really diggin' this book i'm reading "eve's revenge" about body image and spirituality, and i'm discovering that i too often (and too easily) divide the body and spirit in my own way of thinking. i think greek gnosticism has subtly creeped into my thinking without my knowledge. anyway, angie sent me the link to the messages and its so interesting how "thematic" often things that come into my vision happen to be.
the message address two two extremes, which andy stanley calls the 'worshippers" and the "neglectors": worshippers aer those who are so committed to their bodies that it becomes an addiction of sort. they may say that its about "health" when in the end, its all about themselves. neglectors swing to the other extreme in the desecration of their bodies for the purpose of indulgence and pleasure. both extremes, he says, haunts other areas of relationships. but the key isn't just to find a "balance" between the two extremes... it is to understand God's perspective and purpose for our bodies and live accordingly. every created thing has a purpose. something is missing if we are not living according to that purpose.
because our body is not our body, we should neither neglect it, nor worship it. the passage about our bodies being the temple of the holy spirit doesn't say honor God with our hearts, intentions, etc... it says honor God with our bodies. temples were designed as a place for worship to honor God. to use the metaphor of our bodies as a temple is perhaps an very important point to get across for the corinthians who struggled with dualistic living. it is a greek phenomenon that presents a dualistic approach to body and spirit, and the church in corinth fell into that... i can worship God with my heart, but sin with my body.... etc.
... all things are created by him and for him... worship the main point:
your body is created by God for God to honor God
worship is saying "you're worth more to me than anything else" its what we place our values on... can i say that is my heart's cry towards the Lord?
(i'm so very good at wasting time when i have deadlines... but that's all i've got for this one... back to work...)
seems an interesting and apropo topic as of late... the balance of the body and spirit and what that looks like. i've been really diggin' this book i'm reading "eve's revenge" about body image and spirituality, and i'm discovering that i too often (and too easily) divide the body and spirit in my own way of thinking. i think greek gnosticism has subtly creeped into my thinking without my knowledge. anyway, angie sent me the link to the messages and its so interesting how "thematic" often things that come into my vision happen to be.
the message address two two extremes, which andy stanley calls the 'worshippers" and the "neglectors": worshippers aer those who are so committed to their bodies that it becomes an addiction of sort. they may say that its about "health" when in the end, its all about themselves. neglectors swing to the other extreme in the desecration of their bodies for the purpose of indulgence and pleasure. both extremes, he says, haunts other areas of relationships. but the key isn't just to find a "balance" between the two extremes... it is to understand God's perspective and purpose for our bodies and live accordingly. every created thing has a purpose. something is missing if we are not living according to that purpose.
because our body is not our body, we should neither neglect it, nor worship it. the passage about our bodies being the temple of the holy spirit doesn't say honor God with our hearts, intentions, etc... it says honor God with our bodies. temples were designed as a place for worship to honor God. to use the metaphor of our bodies as a temple is perhaps an very important point to get across for the corinthians who struggled with dualistic living. it is a greek phenomenon that presents a dualistic approach to body and spirit, and the church in corinth fell into that... i can worship God with my heart, but sin with my body.... etc.
... all things are created by him and for him... worship the main point:
your body is created by God for God to honor God
worship is saying "you're worth more to me than anything else" its what we place our values on... can i say that is my heart's cry towards the Lord?
(i'm so very good at wasting time when i have deadlines... but that's all i've got for this one... back to work...)
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