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Feb 28, 2016

Fulfilled and Free 4: Fitness

Fulfilled and Free 4: Fitness

Passage: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Speaker: Rev. Vivian McCarthy, Pastor

Series: Fulfilled and Free

Category: Discipleship

Keywords: discipleship, fitness, health, wholeness

Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. Fitness is essential to staying strong and healthy, and our study book advises us to move, using a playful approach to movement and exercise.

Does anything make you feel old – let’s say older than you really are?  What kinds of things? 

Oliver Wendell Holmes once said, “We do not quit playing because we grow old; we grow old because we quit playing.”

Take a look at this clip from an old Twilight Zone episode.  Charlie is a resident at Sunnyvale rest home for the elderly, and he is restless.  He sees a group of children, about 10 years old, playing Kick the Can and begins to imagine what life would be like if he could play the game from his childhood again.  He tells his old friend Ben, “All kids play kick the can or hide and seek, and the minute they stop playing, they begin to grow old.  It’s almost as though playing kick the can keeps them young.”   [At this point, we played a brief clip from The Twilight Zone, Series 3, Episode 21, Kick the Can.  It is available from Amazon Prime or other online sources.  Charlie convinces several of his Sunnyvale neighbors to go outside and play the child's game, and as they play, they turn back into their 10-year-old selves.] 

This week’s essential element to be fulfilled and free is Fitness, and The Daniel Plan based on the Daniel story we read last week tells us that Daniel was able to do amazing, even unbelievable things, to live strong and boldly, despite the fact that he was physically held captive by the Babylonians, because he had “strength of faith, courage, obedience, devotion, dedication, endurance, and discipline in body, mind and spirit.”  The book says this is the concept of Daniel Strong:  A pursuit of excellence in body, mind, and spirit for God’s glory.[1]  

Charlie had a dream – a big dream.  Charlie wanted to play Kick the Can.  He wanted to feel young and free again, and as the dream took shape and grew strong in his mind, Charlie was able to share the dream and draw others into it. 

So, what’s your dream?  What is it that you want to do that you haven’t been able to do for awhile? 

This week, take some time to dream.  If your body were in better shape, what would you really love to do?  Climb a hill?  Take a nature walk with your grandchildren?  Run a marathon?  Hang glide?  Zip line?  Walk up the stairs without getting out of breath?  See yourself doing that one thing that excites you.  And then write it down – like a bucket list – and then write down the steps you need to take to get to that dream. 

There are lots of suggestions in the study book for how to find your dream and then realize it.  The part I liked best is when Rev. Warren encourages us to go “Back to the Joy of Play.”[2] 

Acknowledging that many of us dread or even despise exercise, the writers recommend that we take an approach that is light and airy, choosing activity that brings a smile to our faces, and they have a kind of mnemonic to point us in the right direction: 

            Prayerful movements throughout your day

            Loosening breaks

            Active games and aerobic activity

            Youthful strength training

Prayerful movement ideas:

  • Stand up for 1 to 2 minutes and thanks God for the many blessings in your day and life.
  • Stand or pace when you talk on the phone.
  • Turn on some music and dance for a few minutes. 

Loosening Breaks:

  • Standing arm circles – 15 – 20 seconds, ea direction.
  • Self-massage using a foam ball.

Active Games and Aerobic Activity:

  • Take the stairs.
  • Go bowling.
  • Play tag – and have we got the opportunities for you: youth are playing laser tag tonight!  And remember Zumba on Wednesday! 

Youthful Strength Training

  • This is the hard one for me. Honestly, nothing on their list brought a smile to my face!  I guess I’ll really have to work toward this one!

Most of us are going to feel better and be able to do things more easily if we simply follow the recommendations of The Daniel Plan to move – to be more playful.  I invite you to stand with me and move just a little bit.  Let’s sing I’m Goin’ a Sing When the Spirit Says Sing – and watch when we sing the second verse!  Do what you can!

[1] Rick Warren, The Daniel Plan, Copyright © 2013.  Zondervan.  Pg. 150.

[2] Ibid., p. 162 ff.