Chapter 1 The Body Is Not Separate From Ministry

Incarnation as the Starting Point Christianity, more than any other major religion, takes the body seriously. The Incarnation — God taking on a human body — is the theological center of our faith. Jesus did not come as a spirit or an idea. He came in flesh and blood, tired and hungry and physically present to the people He served. The body is not a container for the real you that lives inside it. The body is you — resurrected, glorified eventually, but always you. How you treat your body is how you treat yourself. And how you treat yourself has direct consequences for how you serve others. The pastor who neglects his body does not transcend the physical to serve in a more spiritual way. He simply serves less effectively — with less energy, less resilience, less capacity. "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own." — 1 Corinthians 6:19 Neglecting your body is not a sign of spiritual devotion. It is a form of poor stewardship of the instrument God uses to reach people through you.