Use of Pot Lucks to Increase Attendance

[michael-acts17:11]

Fat baptist preaches are Biblical literalists until you bring up gluttony. Then it's all "the Bible doesn't mean that", "you are judgmental", or "define gluttony". Funny how they never need a definition for any other type of sin & personal preference they preach against.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Fat baptist preaches are Biblical literalists until you bring up gluttony. Then it's all "the Bible doesn't mean that", "you are judgmental", or "define gluttony". Funny how they never need a definition for any other type of sin & personal preference they preach against.

And you still haven't defined gluttony ....could it be an aversion to fat preachers? Maybe though look around. The whole of America is fat....while people in it die of starvation and neglect....why is that do you think?

 

[Luke2427]

Why do we use church pot lucks to promote increased attendance, when we know full well, when the meal is gone, so are those people? If God has not prepared the newcomers to hear the Word, does somehow a meal that promotes gluttony going to do the job?

What goes through the mind of the visitors when they hear a sermon about worldly desires vs spiritual values, then turn right around five minutes later and promote a worldly practice by stuffing our already fat guts with two or three plates of food and giving a wink and a nod about it?

What do visitors think when they see pastors and deacons, Christian leaders, that look like a parade of beach balls or the planet Jupiter? If that is the temple of the Holy Spirit, He certainly has plenty of room to live in.

We want to compel them to come in. Jesus used food as an opportunity to preach the truth.

One of the key features of the early church in Acts was that they were constantly eating together.

And like it or not, though gluttony is a sin, being fat is not.

Michael Phelps consumed about 15,000 calories a day. Was that gluttony?

There are men who consume 2-3,000 calories a day but their jobs require them to be physically sedentary. They are more often than not going to be fat.

Then there are people who can eat 8,000 calories a day, stuff themselves with twinkies and never hardly gain a pound.

Being fat is not always a bad thing. Being lean is not always a good thing. It's just not that simple. Most of life isn't.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

We want to compel them to come in. Jesus used food as an opportunity to preach the truth.

One of the key features of the early church in Acts was that they were constantly eating together.

And like it or not, though gluttony is a sin, being fat is not.

Michael Phelps consumed about 15,000 calories a day. Was that gluttony?

There are men who consume 2-3,000 calories a day but their jobs require them to be physically sedentary. They are more often than not going to be fat.

Then there are people who can eat 8,000 calories a day, stuff themselves with twinkies and never hardly gain a pound.

Being fat is not always a bad thing. Being lean is not always a good thing. It's just not that simple. Most of life isn't.

Look.... Id personally be at home & breaking bread with my family without having others around. Thats generally my only time to sit down with my kid for the week & thats is precious to me. Constantly sitting with church people is a bit much & burns into my family time. If you want to do it once a month then perhaps I can swing it.....but a weekly meal, after a while is an imposition to everyone....it involves buying the food, preparing the food, setting & cleaning the table plus dishes etc. Then you condition people to expect it. Im not a fan.

 

[kyredneck]

I will bet those opossum stews & coon roasts were outa this world.....what memories you must have! :laugh: Up here its baked Ziti & Kraft Mac n cheese. Generally someone brings in a pizza too. that cuisine is to die for.....some have. :smilewinkgrin:

Lot's of homegrown food, especially when the gardens are on...

 

[gb93433]

I pastored a church where we had a potluck once a month and at the same time had the Lord's supper/communion. At the time people finally realized the historical setting of 1 Cor. 11 without saying a word.

One of the things I saw I have never forgotten is there were some elderly ladies who did not have much and looked forward to eating some food prepared by those who had more and who cooked well. I know one lady who purposely brought some great food with those people in mind. An interesting things happened when we had communion too. People came to know Christ as a result of that time of sharing both in testimony and in a time of sharing food and conversation. Those elderly women were given food to take home too. In a practical sense they felt cared for and it helped their food bill. If someone was tempted to overeat and saw there the leftover food went they would probably not do that again. One of them me thanked me because it was through that time his wife came to follow Christ.

One might consider the setting in 1 Cor. 11 in that people did not have enough to eat while others were feasting. What we did helps people to be more sensitive to others. Plus it teaches the setting of 1 Cor. 11 in a practical way by example. A picture of a Christian community that shared its faith, made disciples and loved each other developed partly because of those times around the table and encouraging one another. Who would have ever thought the sharing of food would cause people to be encouraged and follow Christ. Consider the times Jesus taught around meals.

 

[Sapper Woody]

And like it or not, though gluttony is a sin, being fat is not.

If by "fat" you mean a little overweight, I agree with you. But to me, fat means more than just a little overweight. Regardless of personal meaning of fat, obesity (very fat) is sin. It is part of gluttony. Since no one here wants to define gluttony, I will add what it means to me. It is closely associated with greed. It is taking as much of something as you can, more than you need, until the point of detriment to yourself. This shows itself most often in food, but can be applied in other areas.

Michael Phelps consumed about 15,000 calories a day. Was that gluttony?

But he remains in shape. So he needs those calories.

There are men who consume 2-3,000 calories a day but their jobs require them to be physically sedentary. They are more often than not going to be fat.

Then they are being gluttonous. They are taking more than they need, to their physical detriment.

When it comes to Pastor's, there's three things that turn me off and make me question whether or not he's fit to lead. Anger, disobeying traffic laws (especially when it's bragged about or joked about, ie; "I rode with Pastor so and so the other day and feared for my life!"), and being so fat that they can't function, are out of breath just stepping up the steps to the platform, and are OK with it.

 

[thisnumbersdisconnected]

Of course, your churches are in the promised land, west of the Missouri I suppose. Close to the Jordan, but no cigar.

Actually, I'd prefer it if it were in the "promised land" -- Missouri!!

But my kids grew up here. What could I do? And now I'm married to the most wonderful woman in the world, and she's a Jayhawk fan!?!?! As Hudson Taylor said, "It isn't what we will do for God, but what He will do to use us."

 

[michael-acts17:11]

Gluttony has become a “lifestyle sin” that has been normalized by our culture of "Supersized" portions and overflowing buffet lines, starting with passages like Philippians 3:19 “their god is their belly”, Psalm 78:18 “And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.”, Proverbs 23:20 “be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat”, Proverbs 23:2 “put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite”, or better yet, 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are".