Yesterday I mentioned near the end of the piece including your congregation in your care for your physical health. Today, I want to expand on that.
Many times problems in the ministry can be converted to possibilities if they are reframed. We can make the noblest of excuses for our failure to take care of our health because we are too busy taking care of others. However, the problem of declining physical health is not restricted to pastors but is rampant in our society. As I mentioned yesterday, it would not be difficult to translate some of our society’s problem with declining health as an issue of poor stewardship of the bodies that God has provided us.
A few well-developed sermons on this aspect of stewardship, could result in raising a congregational awareness as to the connection between our faith and caring for our bodies. The next step would be to engage the congregation in exercising their imagination as to ways that physical activities can be incorporated into congregational events. One day could be devoted to cleaning the church building in a way that involved conscious exercise movements. Perhaps some good rhythmic music could encourage some extra movement. A neighborhood walk could be planned in which each person had a litter bag and the contest would be to see who could gather the most litter and leave the neighborhood in better condition. Some group could be tasked with designing healthier meals for the next congregational supper and maybe even including some mild stretching exercises as part of the activity. If there is a large fellowship hall, a sports night with a variety of fun activities for the non-sports-experts could be planned.
The whole congregation could be invited to see who could come up with the most creative ways for the congregation to have some exercise during their congregational events. And, throughout the year, people’s progress in finding new ways to exercise should be publicly celebrated.
