October is a time to focus on boobs (Breast Cancer Awareness), candy (Halloween), and spiritual shepherds (Pastor Appreciation). I don’t envy pastors having to share their special month with pink Ta-tas and costumed children, but hopefully appreciating our pastor is something we do all year long. Since October makes our Appreciation official, I’d like us to take a moment to ponder our pastor’s health.

Pastors spend much of their time sitting and studying or sitting and talking or sitting and listening – all necessary for preparing sermons and caring for their flock, but these are not exercise-rich work hours. And how do we often show our appreciation? With baked goods. Baked goods are a natural choice: most people like them and they require neither heating nor cooling to remain edible. But…

You knew there was a “but” coming and there’s a 3 out of 4 chance that it’s a BIG butt.

“A 2001 Pulpit and Pew study of 2,500 clergy found that 76% were overweight or obese compare to 61% of the general population at the time of the study.” (Fat in Church , 2012) If we really appreciate our pastors, we need to contribute to their health, not lead them down the saccharine coated path to the Dark Side.

Instead of baked goods, take your pastor fruits and vegetables. Don’t know his favorite herbivore snacks? Ask him. Or take him a bit of your favorite vegetables; maybe he’ll learn to love it too. (Include the recipe so he can recreate it if he does like it.) Most of us will eat a healthy snack if we’re handed one: carrots and dip, broccoli with cheese, guacamole with chips, etc. And most of us will eat an unhealthy snack if we’re handed one: cookies, brownies, sweet breads, etc. So hand your pastor something healthy.

Ladies, I’m not saying that you and I can turn an overweight pastor into a thin one – that choice is up to the pastor. I’m saying that we can do our part by equating love and appreciation with vegetables and soup. Keep your pastor preaching longer (in years of service, not minutes on a Sunday morning) by appreciating his health!

“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.” Act 20:28

Fat in Church http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/06/03/obesity-epidemic-in-america-churches.html

cliparthut.com (women with baked goods)

gregburdine.com Pastor Appreciation Month logo