The purpose of WW International (formerly known as Weight Watchers International; the name change happened in 2018) is to help develop healthy eating habits and lifestyle. It was started in 1963 in Queens, New York, and is now a global company. The reason most people join is to lose weight, although its offerings include weight loss and maintenance, fitness, and mindset services, all of which one learns more about after joining. Although the pandemic changed the model of in-person meetings as a key piece of “working” their program (as the pandemic has with so much else, including our own worship experiences), that was indeed the usual model. But “working” the program wasn’t just about going to a once-a-week hour-long meeting.
I did attend Weight Watchers for a time a number of years ago. The usual meeting would begin with weighing-in—and seeing what the difference in one’s weight was from the previous week—and weeks. Then you’d sit down—maybe where you sat the week before, but maybe not—and chat a bit with someone you know, or maybe someone new to you. The meeting would officially start, and there would be some “lesson for the day” or a guest speaker with inspirational insights. There might be a question-and-answer time; there might be a time when people speak about their own success or struggle with sticking with the program. Usually the meeting would last about an hour, and you’d leave, hopefully motivated to stick with the principles of the program.
Because the program wasn’t just the meeting. The program was also the rest of the week, when you needed to follow the plan. There was the diet plan—at that time a points-based approach where individual foods had point totals (based on portion size) and you had a points goal for the day that you intentionally tried not to exceed. And there was an exercise plan, whereby if you did enough of the right kind of exercise that might mean you could have a point or two more in the food total. It demanded of you a focus on your patterns and behaviors, and an intentionality about meeting point totals. And along with that it helped you develop some awareness about yourself—what your biggest temptations were food-wise, what kinds of life events triggered the desire to eat compulsively rather than keep disciplined with the program, what times during the day you tended to want to eat and how that may have always sabotaged your healthy relationship with food. And as I have heard it said, the program works if you “work it”. But you must adhere to the principles and practices for it to work, for you to “work it”.
This is just like those who first joined in with “The Way”—those who became a part of those who were followers of Jesus in those early days. They responded to Peter’s preaching and joined, and then began practicing what that meant. “So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” (Acts 2:41-42).
Baptism, then being devoted to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, the breaking of bread and the prayers. These were the principles and practices of followers of Jesus. They still are. We, too, need to engage in these practices, and not just when we are together in that fellowship, but also the rest of the week. It works if we work it.
NEW TESTAMENT Acts 2:37-42
37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what should we do?’ 38 Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.’ 40 And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’ 41 So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.