LaVrai.COM - The Truth - What Exactly Is A ‘Spiritual’ Gym?

This story is about a religious community in Alabama that encourages people of the faith (in the broad, plural sense) to take 1 Corinthians 6:19 to heart by keeping one’s body healthy and physically fit. It seems like an OK idea in the beginning, but the an almost mystical feel comes over the whole movement, especially when a gym owner says of his establishment: “The environment we present is very spiritual.”

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - More and more health pros and enthusiasts are taking the biblical principle, “your body is a temple” and running with it, offering believers church-hosted group exercise classes and diet support groups as well as community gyms that offer faith-based wellness and training programs.

“We need to take care of God’s temple, which is us,” said Kim Melchor, the facilitator of the First Place program at Taylor Road Baptist Church in Montgomery. “God is the potter. He made our bodies, we don’t own them, and we need to serve God as long as possible on this earth. Making positive, healthy choices will be a glorification to Him.”

The First Place program, which has about 35 participants, emphasizes weight control through a series of weekly sessions of Bible studies, daily scripture reading and commitment to prayer, exercise and proper nutrition.

This is a far cry from old-time church traditions, especially in the South - the lavish after-the-service dinners on Sunday, laden with fried chicken, biscuits and heavy desserts, or potluck Wednesday night dinners in the fellowship hall.

“People are realizing that in the long term, that’s only hurting them - that food can be an issue that can keep them from growing closer to Christ,” Melchor said. “Putting food, exercise and Christ in the proper order, we can be healthier and be there for God, our church, our families and our communities.” [I pray that's not the order she really means - food, exercise and then Christ... ~ LaVrai]

She said it’s not just about weight loss, but about the overall benefits of taking care of the body, both physically and spiritually.

“I can personally tell you that when you surrender yourself to God and put everything in God’s hands, you have so much more self-control, and you want to take good care of yourself,” she said [She may have a point there, since one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is self-control, according to Galatians 22:24 ~ LaVrai]. People often ask her for tips about getting and staying fit - and being a fitness enthusiast, she’s got plenty, but she said the most important is at the core.

“It’s living it and feeling it in your heart and understanding the choices behind it that makes it stick,” she said of individual health improvement efforts.

For local trainer Antonio King, the link between fitness and spirituality was so strong that in March he opened Fit 4 Christ, a Montgomery gym that he wants to serve as a go-to source for churches throughout the community, regardless of denomination.

“The environment we present is very spiritual,” King said of the gym, in Vaughn Plaza. [I suppose the list of items in the next paragraph creates this 'spiritual' environment...? ~ LaVrai]

The gym plays Christian and gospel music, displays inspirational messages to read, offers weekend spiritual programs, temple building [now a term meant for spiritual edification becomes a common synonym ~ LaVrai], prayer partners and daily devotionals and Bible study.

“People are finally identifying the connection between being physically fit and being spiritually in tune, and they’re inspired to do something,” King said.

He is encouraged that in recent years church groups have begun adding fitness equipment to their activities centers, starting walking and aerobics groups and supplementing the usual get-healthy or weight-loss efforts with Bible study, prayer, fellowship and inspirational messages.

At Frazer, for instance, there is a fully equipped gym complex with a weight and cardiovascular room, and a whole regimen of fitness classes and activities. The church offers classes in basic step, cardio, toning and stability ball, as well as a weight-loss support group.

But it’s not just super-large churches that are getting in on the fitness/faith connection. Vaughn Park Church of Christ offers senior fitness classes four times a week, and Morningview Baptist hosts an exercise program for people with arthritis every Tuesday. Christ Lutheran Church in Prattville hosts a weekly yoga for beginners program, and churches with even the smallest congregations are likely to have an aerobics class or walking groups announced somewhere on the Sunday bulletin. [Isn't yoga a pagan Eastern religion? ~ LaVrai]

Local medical and fitness experts say this spiritual/physical wave couldn’t have come at a better time, since there are so many deeply religious people in central Alabama - a region that also has one of the highest obesity rates in the country.

This movement is not just about exercise groups at church - it’s a gradual change of mind-set. Not long ago when a church wanted to raise mission funds, members would take to their kitchens to get ready for a mammoth bake sale. Cakes, pies and pastries would bring in the dough.

But that’s so last century.

These days, churches are more likely to host fundraisers such as Vaughn Forest Church’s Spring to Life Fitness challenge 5K footrace and 1-mile fun run. The annual effort has local runners and walkers hitting the road to raise thousands of dollars for TREC Ministries, a nonprofit mission organization based in Montgomery that is currently building a school and dorm for an orphanage in India.

The church/fitness connection may seem like a modern trend, but the concept of merging faith and fitness goes back at least more than a century and a half. The Young Men’s Christian Association got its start in 1844 in London, with an initial mission was to provide housing, prayer and Bible study to young men who came to work there. But the organization evolved into the YMCA we know today, still a Christian organization, but one that emphasizes total well-being, especially in the fitness arena.

King believes faith-based fitness programs shouldn’t be limited to one group of believers.

He said the organizers of most church-based programs and spiritually oriented gyms see themselves as bringing the community together, in fitness as well as spirit.

“We don’t force spirituality or beliefs on anyone,” he said. “We promote friendship and fellowship.” (Source)

This sounds like a bad case of good intentions opening doors to the Devil. The article starts out with who appears to be a Christian woman and then speaks of someone who doesn’t necessarily adhere to any particular faith, but who seems to be all about ’spirituality.’ Then you have the church offering Yoga classes… a Hindu philosophy in the House of GOD…?

What’s also interesting is that no one quoted in this article is asked to explain or share the Bible’s views on physical fitness and health — what is the foundation for this new movement that is supposed to be grounded in Christian faith?

I think many people can agree that we should all take care of our bodies for a healthy, long life…but at what price? I cannot say that this movement is a good thing, but it doesn’t appear to be wholly based on GODly principles. Based on this article, there seems to be some compromising with other religions, spiritualities and faiths…which appears to be broadening the gate.

The Holy Bible doesn’t speak kindly of gluttony and indulgence of strong drink (which can cause all kinds of damage, especially social ones), but it does seem to support the idea of being fit or healthy — with spiritual heath always the number one priority, of course.

1 Peter 4:1-3

1 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 3 For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles-when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.

1 Timothy 4:8 8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Share and Enjoy: