a Biblical thought...
Jesus replied, "Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? (Mark 12:24)
Jesus replied, "Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? (Mark 12:24)
a Book thought...
Growth is not a linear process or a smooth process. We don’t grow first, then serve. We grow as we serve. And we serve as we grow. We need both, and we need them in tandem. (p107 Logan & Miller)
a Dave thought...
I am one who believes that looking after yourself is important if you are going to have a fruitful ministry. For me that means both spiritually & physically. I have no doubt that not only does my spiritual health determine my effectiveness but also my physical health. After chatting to various officers over the years many also agree with this principle and state that there finest years of service have been when they have been at their peak physical condition. On the other hand there are officers all over the world who are not able to work at their potential due to poor health or being overweight.
If we are preparing cadets spiritually at Training College for life-long service should we also be preparing them physically as well? I believe as part of the timetable for cadets along with dedicated times for personal devotions, and morning prayers there should also be a time for daily exercise. Although some say this is extreme if we want our officers to make it through the stress and strain of 30-40 years service I suggest we train our officers in daily habits that will help us all last the distance.
Just a thought.
I am one who believes that looking after yourself is important if you are going to have a fruitful ministry. For me that means both spiritually & physically. I have no doubt that not only does my spiritual health determine my effectiveness but also my physical health. After chatting to various officers over the years many also agree with this principle and state that there finest years of service have been when they have been at their peak physical condition. On the other hand there are officers all over the world who are not able to work at their potential due to poor health or being overweight.
If we are preparing cadets spiritually at Training College for life-long service should we also be preparing them physically as well? I believe as part of the timetable for cadets along with dedicated times for personal devotions, and morning prayers there should also be a time for daily exercise. Although some say this is extreme if we want our officers to make it through the stress and strain of 30-40 years service I suggest we train our officers in daily habits that will help us all last the distance.
Just a thought.
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10 comments:
An interesting thoughtDave. Exercise is helpful to us all. However, I guess you really don't know what happens in the College and what cadets do in regards to their own fitness seeing as you have not been through the College. GG
I am sorry I have to agree it is a little bit insensative to speak on issues you have no clue about..
Hmmm
GB
So, are you both saying there is lots of physical training at College? Because if that's true, then Dave is wrong, if not, what are you going on about? It's easy to criticise and say he doesn't know what is going on, and that is not a bad point. So then enlighten us please. Tell us about the physical fitness program that is done at College to show he has no idea what he is talking about...
And don't say that isn't the point, it's about him commenting on what he doesn't know about, because that is EXACTLY the point. And if there is a program, that's a big change from the past, and a welcome one. If not, what is wrong with what he said. The body is God's temple, so why do we skirt around the issue of weight so often??? Oh that's right, it's because so many of our spiritual leaders are themselves so overweight... so therefore it's a touchy subject...
Hmmm
I congrateulate you for speaking openly on issues that clearly you know little about.
Some topics for your blog for the future may be...
Why i enjoyed breastfeeding.
How to run a small church.
...So you have 10 years experience in "social" ministry.
Being single in God's service.
Surviving as a single parent.
I could go on.
People will listen more effectivly when you engage auhtenically with your own experience.
Go on. Give it a go
Exercise and physical training are important and crucial.
It is a very biblical stance to understand that this body we have is the temple of the Holy Spirit.
Physical discipline is important, rewarding and strengthening - mind/body.soul.
You have some criticism present here, which has avoided the topic.
You address an important issue, and it is an issue you have hands-on experience with. You have a soul within your body, both of which are affected by the way you feel...how healthy you are, how strong you are, how you feel about yourself.
Ministry is a stress-laden vocation, and the healthier a person can be - man or woman, younger or old - will be influential on everything we do.
If you were the CO of a small corps following commissioning and there wasn't much help available, would you have been able to go off on your Sunday morning jaunts for the good of your health and personal goals? The old-time officer got plenty of exercise on the job!
When Paul in the Corinthians refers to "the body" being the temple of God, you will find it is in the plural, referring to the gathered believers not each individual. Paul is speaking to the gathered body. Therefore a healthy body in this instance is a healthy church; those committing the sin are therefore those who undermine its unity.
I am a little concerned David, that you are committing such a sin with this blog by instigating a debate about the nature of college training when you are so prominent in the Army and yet so far from responsibility for such matters. Officer development requires the formation of self determination to deal with all the stresses and strains of the job and yes that starts in the college. I don't believe adding more control to such an institution will encourage such positive growth.
I understand that you post to engage people in debate and you don't mind controvesial comments, however I think on some matters I would urge constraint so that "the body" remains a unified entity. There is too much already which divides people in the Army. I encourage you not to become another!
Hey Dave, this is one of the most uncontraversial blogs you've ever written :-) and im trying to work out why people are having a go at you? Regarding the original post, can a Cadet tell us about the fitness programme at the OTC - do you have free time where you could choose to exercise?
SJ
At the college cadets are encouraged to be participants in recreational activities by competing in sporting activities outside the college. There is a recreational area with equipment on the college as well. Ultimately we are all responsible for our own fitness and i gues not too many of us take enough exercise, even when we know it is good for us.
Ultimately it does not matter whether there is time dedicated in the College program to physcial fitness or not. Putting classes on the schedule will not produce a lifetime of physcial fitness, of learning, or spiritual growth.
What does matter is what we, as servants of Jesus Christ, choose to do with what God has given to us.
"...physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." 1 Tim. 4:8
Graham R.
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