Our Sabbath School Program at 10:30 am . . .
Burnt Mills Sabbath School
Dear Friend & Sabbath School Member,
Happy Sabbath ! We wish you and yours the abundance of God's Sabbath blessings !
Our Sabbath School Program at 10:30 am on June 19, 2010 pays tribute through music and thought to all fathers. Happy Fathers Day ! Thanks to Donna James for coordinating this special tribute program. We honor and respect our fathers and we hope you can be present during this program.
This weeks thoughts on the lesson adapted from Contemporary Comments provides some interesting scripture and modern day guidelines about diet. It is our prayer that this would create thought and conversation and action in your Sabbath School classes. Please feel free to print and share.
Nutrition in the Bible | June 19, 2010 | Adapted from Contemporary Comments
Genesis 8:20 - And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
Leviticus 11 : And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth. Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat. Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you. And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you. And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you. And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you. Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you. These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat . . . . . .
Deuteronomy 14 : Ye are the children of the LORD your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead. For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth. Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing. These are the beasts which ye shall eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat, . . . . . . . . . .
Proverbs 23:19-21- Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way. Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
Romans 14:17 - For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
1 Timothy 4:1-5 - Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
Laura J. Martin, M.D. reviewed an article by Denise Mann that was published in the healthy eating and diet section of WebMD June 15, 2010 that takes aim at obesity. According to the article, two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese.
A 13-member board of scientists and nutritionists has been commissioned to come up with the 2010 dietary guidelines due out by the end of this year. Dietary guidelines are updated every five years.
The board’s challenge is to help curb obesity, “the single greatest threat to public health in this century”. They are asking for comment from the general public for one-month on the new guidelines which include the following:
Reduce sodium intake from 2,300 milligrams to 1,500 milligrams per day.
Stress a vegetarian-style diet rich in vegetables, cooked dry beans and peas, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and seeds with only moderate amounts of lean meats, poultry and eggs.
Cut back on sugary sodas and beverages
Eat less saturated fat
Eat more seafood and low-fat dairy products
Increase physical activity to at least 2 and ½ hours of moderate-intensity physical activity or 1and ¼ hours of vigorous-intensity activity each week for adults and an hour or more of moderate to vigorous activity each day for children and teens.
Step up nutrition education
Motivate families to cook more healthfully with improved access to fresh fruits and vegetables.
Sound familiar? Your lesson study class may wish to contribute to the public comment based on our study this week and the scriptural references. In the United States, dietary guidelines are issued by the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services.
Adding her comment, Margo G. Wootan, Ph.D. who is the Director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, suggests the need for a shift in the food environment. It is Wootan’s opinion that the majority of choices at restaurants are unhealthy. She feels that the majority of options need to be healthy with only a couple of “splurge options for special occasions”.
Summer is frequently a time for family reunions or vacations where people with different taste buds gather. It would be prudent to remember the words from our lesson that “It [following a fruit, grain and nut diet] does not make us righteous, it does not make us holy, and it certainly does not put us in a position to judge those who do not eat the way we think is best.”
Comparing the original diet as outlined in the Bible with the diet being promoted by scientists and nutritionists today may be a good way to find common ground.
God bless.
Regards.
Joseph Pakkianathan
Burnt Mills Sabbath School