HARRISBURG – Shalom Lutheran Church in Harrisburg is shaping bodies in a healthy way – inside and out.
May 18 marked the beginning of a six-week course at the church called “Body by God.” Taught by Dr. Ashley Mayland of Harrisburg Family Chiropractic, the course covers nutrition, exercise and stress and time management.
“In today’s world, there’s so much stress,” Shalom Lutheran Pastor Chip Joyslin said. “So we want to focus on good physical health and spiritual health, too.”
Joyslin said the Body by God isn’t a Bible class, but said physical and spiritual health do tie into one another.
“By putting all the necessary pieces of the puzzle together, to create wholeness. That is the basis of this program,” Mayland said.
A workbook includes daily readings, thoughts and tasks. And each lesson has a Christian based message.
“Basically we do it all with a spiritual base,” Mayland said. “We’re not looking for motivation but for inspiration. That’s what we use the Bible for - inspiration.”
Those taking the course learn how to incorporate good foods into their menus, for example. And instead of using the word, “diet,” Mayland calls them vacation meals.
“We look at foods that are good for your body and foods that are not good for your body,” he said. “Then you just try to add in the foods that are good for you. It’s a gradual process.”
Body by God’s goal is to improve one percent a day for 40 days.
Other tidbits include 10-minute workouts, for example.
Mayland approached the Shalom Health and Ministries Board about offering the Body by God seminar.
He took the seminar – from Dr. Ben Lerner, who organized the program and wrote the book - when he was a student at Palmer College of Chiropractic in California.
The Board liked the idea, and the first session was held this past Fall.
Lanelle McAllister, a member of the Health and Ministries Board, took the first course
“It really was a valuable class,” she said. She took many of the Bible verses and physical health tips and still uses them in her daily living.
But the course isn’t just taught from the book.
“It’s an interactive class,” she said. “People bring ideas about different lifestyles and diets.”
Between the two sessions Shalom has offered, about 20-24 have signed up for each.
And because the group only meets one hour a day – 2-3 p.m. Sundays – McAllister said the course has a very little time commitment.
For those who still want to take the class, they can. The only cost is $25 for the workbook, which is there’s to keep once the course is complete.