"Won't power"

I, like many people, have a fondness for sweets. Chocolate, ice cream, southern sweet tea, cookies, and more. Over the years, I have become about 30 pounds overweight. Lately I have been thinking about that "treat your body like a temple" adage. My temple needs some work on it to look more like God intended, though handsome it will never be.

So I read with interest an Atlanta Journal-Constitution article on sugar overload this week, "Hiding in plain sight". It suggests changing a soda a day to a bottle of water a day. I detest paying for water (Evian backwards is "naive", after all), but since I'm spending money on empty soda calories maybe paying for plain water would be a better decision.

The AJC article linked to another very informative site - NutritionData (ND). It has pages listing the nutrition value of foods commonly searched for (an example is raw bananas) as well as foods from varied commercial eateries such as McDonald's and Blimpie. The nerd in me is especially intrigued by the cool data displays:

• Caloric ratio pyramid
• Nutrition balance indicator
• Nutritional target map, which includes a "fullness factor"and a rating

ND also has a "better choices diet" page.

So will all this great information prompt me to clean up my eating ways instead of my plate and to clean up my temple? I am a sense-oriented person, which is why I so much enjoy music (and pretty pictures ... a nod to John the Methodist) as well as food. Maybe I can replace that bottle of soda with water. And maybe a bit less of those delicious Chocolate peanut butter Treasures. I have plenty of "Will Power" ... as in "I will eat that cookie now". What it takes is "Won't Power."

Does Religion Make You a Better Person?

The Youtube video "Does Religion Make You a Better Person?" is anti-Christian (actually, anti-religion), but Christians should watch it carefully. I can't personally verify or dispute the statistics claimed. If real, they are alarming. Please feel free to refute any of the many statistics, but provide a link to a credible source of data. No flames, please.

Will the real Methodists please stand up!

We say we're Methodists, yet we seem to shun Wesley's ways. We say we're United, yet we're fragmented, self-oriented both as congregations and as various groups within the denomination. We seek higher numbers of members, relegating spiritual growth to a lesser role.

So the question is ... are Methodism's problems a result of losing sight of the spiritual in pursuit of funding, programs, social contact, Sunday School based on best-seller books, and being sort of a religious country club? Are we so lost in trying to force our own interpretations of the Bible on each other that we fail to bring the lost home to Christ?

Have our Sunday Schools lost sight of the type of Bible study that Wesley's "Bible-Moths" would approve of? Scripture was the most important part of the Wesleyan Quadrilateral, not just an equal quarter of the whole.

Andrew Thompson, author of the Gen-X Rising blog, says, "Let's decide: Are we Methodists or not?" He takes a good poke at churches that seem so ashamed to be United Methodists that they leave that part out of their publicized church name. Either be Methodists or don't, but don't be half-hearted Methodists, he seems to say.

Andrew suggests that it is a good and fruitful thing to follow Wesley:

• Shun religious pretension
• Practice rigorous discipleship
• Actively pursue the way of salvation
• Tirelessly carry the gospel to the lost and the poor

So ... how are you and your church doing? Are you truly Methodists?

The United Methodist Reporter site has picked up several other Gen-X Rising articles in 2007:

• Churches that matter offer true community
• Young church leaders plan grassroots event
• Giving up our right to choose for Lent
• Growing out of a 'country-club commitment'

As a side note, Gen-X Rising is now linked in the "Methodist, Other blogs" section of this blog.

Passover and the Passion

Christianity and Judaism are forever linked this time of year. A Boston Globe article, "Passover and the Passion", reminds us that Holy Week is structured around Jesus' observance of the Jewish Passover.

The author points out that as new converts came from the Gentiles, those people didn't fully grasp that Jesus was a Jew. "The Jews" became a scapegoat. He suggests a reading of the Gospels that takes into account such culturally relevant factors.

Homosexuality costs some Black pastors

Black pastors are often caught between between two bad options -- ignoring the marginalized in our society or losing conservative members, often the older, bigger donors. The March 27 NY Times article, datelined from Atlanta, elaborates. Will money or love win out?

"What does it mean to have a [worship] service that welcomes all but makes an effort to target those whom society has shunned as unclean and undesirable?" asks Becky Garrison in "Easter for the Outcasts" at the God's Politics blog.

Multitasking slows you down

An October 2001 study reported in the "Journal of Experimental Psychology" informs us that the brain takes extra time "switching gears" when we switch tasks.

"The shortest way to do many things is to do only one thing at once."
– Samuel Smiles

A recent broadcast on National Public Radio discussed University of Michigan research that found it takes people longer to accomplish a series of tasks if they multitask than if they do them one at a time. Multitasking slows you down. Many (most?) people believe that multitasking is faster, but in reality it is not.

In addition, humans we remember and learn differently when we multitask.

"To do two things at once is to do neither."
– Roman sage Publilius Syrus

Microsoft suggests several problems with multitasking. Among them:

• Interruptions break user concentration and thus hurt longer-term tasks. Why? Users often can't tell which interruptions need to be handled right away, making it hard to maintain current task flow.
• To successfully complete tasks, you need to know when to stop a current task and return to one you have on hold. Researchers have found that people often pause tasks while waiting for some outside event, for example an expected email or phone call. They then wanted to resume the original task as immediately after the interrupting event. But ...
• People have trouble getting back on task after shifting their attention away."

Multitasking problems have even crept into churches. For example, one pastor had a habit of shouting over the last hymn as we closed the worship service. But paying attention to his words meant paying less attention to (or stumbling over) the words of the hymn. If a hymn is important enough to sing, it is important enough to concentrate on. We should pay more attention to the words (text message) of hymns, not less (but that's another topic).

Even church staff members need to focus on one task at a time as much as possible. Acting against that goal are an always-open email program or email notifier, an open instant messenger (IM), constant visitors, phone calls, etc. So Pastors and church managers, help your church staff focus. Seek to lessen interruptions to their tasks and they'll get more done in the same amount of time. They'll also appreciate the reduced stress.

Lent and Passover

Before Lent heads into the final week, you may want to read "Muskrat love." No, it's not the song. It's a Catholic Online article about Michiganders who abstain from meat on Fridays yet have a tradition of eating muskrat on Fridays (and why).

You may want to bone up on Holy Week and Passover...

• Holy Week
• Holy Week (Wikipedia)
• Palm Sunday
• Maundy Thursday
• Good Friday
• Holy Saturday
• Pesach (Passover) Basics
• Preparing for Passover (PBS)
• Passover through archeology and rare documents (Flash)

PBS airs pioneer evangelist story

A conservative Protestant evangelist who knew how to pull in people and win souls. Pastor of one of America's first megachurches. Pioneer of Christian radio. Divorced at a time when divorce was a stigma (a topic for another day).

Canadian farm girl Aimee Semple McPherson (Sister Aimee) mixed religion and entertainment like nobody before her.

You can watch the PBS program on Sister Aimee Monday, April 2, at 9pm.

Other links:

• Sister Aimee (online UM Reporter site)
• Aimee Semple McPherson (Wikipedia)
• Photo Gallery
• Kidnapping of Aimee Semple McPherson

Health articles, healthy recipes

We are to be good stewards of our God-given bodies -- of our health. Here are some links to health-related articles:

• The skinny on fat
• Popeye was right!
• Top 5 foods for women
• The 5 healing tastes
• Recipes from Cooking Light magazine
• Delicious Decisions (American Heart Association recipes)
• Healthy recipes
• Get healthy (Food Network)
• Health news (CNN)
• MedLine Plus (NLM & NIH)
• Harvard World Health News
• Current Diet and Nutrition articles
• Recent product recalls (last 60 days)

Evil incarnate

A book review of "Evil Incarnate: Rumors of Demonic Conspiracy and Satanic Abuse in History" brought to mind religious and political actions in the past decade. Author David Frankfurter says that historically, the real atrocities seem to occur during attempts to purge what one group claims is evil. (Also see the UNH Magazine Review)

The extreme accusations and labelling of political candidates in recent years seems to fall into this category. Political strategists appear to actively promote wild hyperbole presented as fact. Using religious slander seems to be an increasing trend. The motto appears to be, "If you repeat a lie enough times to enough people, it will affect their opinion of the candidate and thus the outcome of an election."

I find that morally repugnant. Politicians who treat the American people as ignorant dummies that can be led by the nose at will are spiritually bankrupt. Yet we continue to adopt and, worse, repeat their false mantras and we elect them. Perhaps we deserve the results we get.

I imagine it's quite hard for an honest, moral politician to stay that way when broadsided by those of "the dark side". The temptation to adopt evil, immoral tactics because they work must be tremendous. But wouldn't it be nice if politicians just lived their religion instead of trying to (mis)use it during campaigns and while in office? Don't quote Bible passages in speeches; live them. Don't tell me how moral you are. Show me.

As we head into the next election season, be on watch for evil at work, whether the candidate is "yours" or not. Consider not encouraging such behavior in our politicians. Check supposed "facts" before you repeat them. Let "your" candidate and party know that you won't accept morally bankrupt behavior. Don't help do the Devil's work.