Liturgy: “Mind Your Health”

As a child, I often heard the saying, “cleanliness is next to Godliness.” I assumed this was a biblical verse my parents were quoting to get me to take a bath! Or maybe my teachers hoped it would encourage us to keep our classrooms clean in St. Bartholomew’s School? At some point, I learned this phrase is not in the Bible, it is attributed to Methodist preacher John Wesley and a sermon he gave around 1791. However, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 teaches: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you at a high price. So glorify God in your body.” As the physical vessel of our soul, God expects us to take care of our bodies through proper nutrition, exercise, sleep, and sanitary habits. By respecting our bodies, we honor God.

The chapters of Leviticus 12-15 explain the rules regarding purification rituals for different types of bodily discharges, skin diseases, and household mildew. These chapters emphasize the importance of being pure and holy in daily life and the need for proper protocols to cleanse one’s body and home. Leviticus 12-15 stresses God’s concern for both the physical and spiritual health and wellness of His people.

David feels abandoned by friends, family, and God in Psalm 38. Great anguish over his sins has manifested as physical pain and emotional suffering. David acknowledges his guilt and pleads for God’s forgiveness, he still trusts in God’s mercy and begs for redemption. The psalm teaches us that mental and spiritual suffering caused by sin can lead to physical ailments.

Leviticus 12-15 and Psalm 38 demonstrate the relationship between physical and spiritual health. Leviticus 12-15 states the need to cleanse physical impurities in order to participate in worship. Psalm 38 shows that sin can cause both emotional and physical pain. During stressful seasons, some people turn away from God. They feel forsaken by Him, so they stop worshiping and praying. Others may form poor eating habits (“eating their stress”) or stop exercising (“letting themselves go”). Worse yet, they may turn to drugs or alcohol. But 3 John 1:2 reminds us, “Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit.” We must remember that even during trying times, we must take care of ourselves both spiritually and physically.