Well, if they would drink more they probably would eat less. And if you want your title to get picked up by more spiders I suggest changing it to something like:

“Why Don’t More Church People Look Sexy Naked?”

Food attracts. It’s marketing.

Ok, is that an argument for or against..? Should we really be marketing church? Man, that’s a hot button for me… AHHRGGH!

The fellowship thing is true, I think that’s probably why most do it. But why not apples, grapes, fresh made whole grain breads instead of glazed doughnuts?

What’s your beef… funny.

Well, I talked about it a little bit here. but my general feeling is that we shouldn’t be marketing church at all. I think that’s what has got a lot of churches where they are now… seeker freindly and gospel poor.

Shouldn’t we just be living in a way that exemplifies Christ everyday. I’m not sure we should be lureing them into a man-made, man-run institution that will only end up turning many of them off. Let them find Christ and He’ll get them to a church, one where He feels they’ll grow.

Wow, Buddy, you’ve got some issues. Besides we didn’t have a potluck for the pastor’s hernia operation, it was for his colonoscopy.

Unfortunately we are surrounded by excess in this country. We then become immune to it. Sheeesh, just go have a meal at the Golden Corral Buffet. I’d say that roughly 60-70% of the people that eat there are morbidly obese. I remember my son one time saying, rather loudly as a large man walked by with an overflowing plate, “Gosh mom, doesn’t he know he can go back and get more later?”.

I think that food is something that brings people together. It brings families together around the dinner table.

Honestly, I think that obesity is not seen as a sin but as a health issue. I kind of think that churches or church groups may be afraid to speak out about it. It’s a very sensitive issue.

On the bright side, there are new “christian” books and workshops out there that do address this issue. Thin Within is a great program.

Besides, haven’t you all seen the new Joyce Meyers Kickboxing dvd? Or Benny Hinn’s cardio dvd “Slaying to the Oldies”? Man, where have you people been?

You know the saying about boys and their toys…well, I don’t but maybe somebody does.

I don’t think that it is marketing church. I have always found the potlucks to be more for the existing members. I’m not sure we should be lureing them into a man-made, man-run institution that will only end up turning many of them off Any church is man-made, even our simple church. Don’t we ask people to join? Just be careful not to throw the baby out with the bath water. Yes, I am probably the first to say that today’s churches may not be as they should but there is a lot of good churches out there too. If they serve doughnuts, more power to them. Some of our most incredible times of growth have been while we have been involved in the church.

Maybe it just goes back to that Big C little C church. Shouldn’t we just be living in a way that exemplifies Christ everyday Big C church. man-made, man-run institution little c church. But you really can’t have the little c without the big c anyway, right?

Well then, aren’t we all just the comedians…?

Tam, the “Live Traffic Feed” is a bit big brotherish isn’t it? But it’s pretty cool. As I’m writing this comment I see someone from Israel was on my blog reading my article about Revelation. Yikes! A few below that is someone from Ohio who was referred by your blog.. Thanks! You can hide from it if you want if you click the options at the bottom of the window, but what fun would that be..?

OK, so I buy that Kath, that the food is an ‘ice breaker’ of sorts, but why can’t it be healthier?

Seriously, what do you think of the idea that people (particularly women) have such an issue with thier weight and appearance? And how does that play into thier Love for themselves? and of course loving your neighbor as yourself?

Is the church irresponsible in this?

Oh, and doesn’t that temple of the holy spirit thing speak more of how we hold within us God’s spirit and share it with others? I really don’t think it has too much to do with our physical condition. Look Joni Erickson Tada (sp?) Sure we shouldn’t ‘destroy’ ourelves with alcolhol, drugs, cigarettes, butter and fat. (Wait a minute! Butter and fat are actually good for us- it was that low fat high carb stuff that was killing us.)

Everything in moderation. Would someone please pass me the mashed potatoes? And more gravy. Thanks.

Hey, dude, the problem with donuts is not the fat -it’s the sugar. The problem with bagels ain’t the cream cheese it’s the bread.

Simple carbs (sugar, potatoes, pasta, ‘enriched’ rice, processed bread, fruit juice) are readily used as fuel for the body. If no fuel is needed then it is stored as fat (bread, potates and pasta are converted to sugar first). When you take the carbs in they are digested very quickly almost immediately being absorbed into the bloodstream (this causes the sugar spike which is problematic for hypoglycemic or diabetic individuals). The body senses it doesn’t need all this fuel at this time and (if it is functioning properly) stores it as fat. Now fat found in food and then ingested is not as soluble as carbs and takes longer to digest (in fact much of it is passed right through, as in the proverbial goose, or else can form intestinal blockages, as many people will say about cheese). This slows down the absorption rate of sugar and carbs allowing the body to utilize the smaller amount as needed. Not only that, carbs without fat will often result in a person feeling hungry in another hour or so (like the proverbial Chinese food).

So it is healthier to serve lasagna or even ice cream sundaes than it is to serve a plain baked potato. Better yet, sprinkle some bran or other fiber on top of that potato. (Yuck!) But in lieu of that, add another helping of bacon, cheddar cheese and sour cream to that spud, Bud.

I think the problem with all that food is that it is all that food. The bagel before or after church doesn’t hurt anyone. It’s when one is confronted with the 10 types of entrees, 20 side dishes and countless desserts like at the pot-luck (or Golden Corral). There is a feeling of ’so much food, so little time’. Calories in , no calories out.

How’s that for edification?

What’s obesity anyway? Is it based on those arbitrarily derived doctor’s height scales or those things that determine how much body fat you have? The experts keep moving the bar, can’t seem to make up their minds what fat really is.

Someone who has descended form a line of German warrior dwarfs will not have the same physiology as a Masai warrior. Some of those Fiji islanders that used to play for the Ravens – have you ever seen their guts? Want to try calling them fat? And look at John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn – remember when Mattie says at the end,”You are too old and fat to be jumping horses.”? And the Duke replies “Well, come see a fat old man some time!” And he jumps the fence and rides away. Tobacco killed that fat man, not food. This nation is fat/thin obsessed.

Hey, Buddy. I wonder if one of your favorite female vocalists (Karen Carpenter) ever pondered these things.

Sorry, I wasn’t trying to make light of a serious illness like anorexia or Ms. Carpenter’s demise. Too many people have suffered through it and lost loved ones. Teenage girls (and I know a few) are obsessed with their appearance and like Buddy said that almost always includes their weight, one way or another. The point I was trying to make is that we are doing the same thing here (sort of). There are people out there who think that they are what they look like (thank God I’m not like that or I would be very depressed.) And one person’s fat is another person’s sexy (ala Reubens)

I’m reminded of this cool sci-fi/fantasy book written about 20 years ago by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle called ‘Inferno’; a modern take on Dante’s Inferno. As the protagonist is being led through the different levels of hell he comes across a place which is filled with all these immensely fat people, big as whales, just wallowing about and wailing in misery. He asks who these folks are, what did they do? His guide tells him that they were all the naturally thin people who wanted saccharin banned for “health” reasons.

Slaying the Oldies – that’s good. What about Ernest Angley’s Smack-the-Fat-Outta-Ya program?