Dateline: Tampa, Florida. Not only did this story make the Tampa Tribune and St. Petersburg TIMES this past Friday, it appears that most, if not all, of the national news outlets have also latched on and exploiting the following headline: "Local Church Issues 30-Day SEX Challenge." Now we've talkin...
(Want to learn more? Go to: http//www.revelantchurchcom/)
Pastor Paul Wirth of The Relevant Church (I just love that name) located in Ybor City, (pronounced "Ye-bore." I assume you know how to pronounce "C-I-T-Y.") an artsy, croissant, watering hole, enclave located just to the east of downtown Tampa, has issued a month long challenge to his married parishoners to engage in "purposeful (Is there any other way to go about it?) sexual relations" each day for 30 consecutive days...and for the single attendees to abstain from such activities for an equal amount of time. I can't speak to how Pastor Wirth's membership is taking to this "out of the norm" challenge, but I have already come across several Internet sites that are vehemently decrying this improper use of the pulpit. My take? With clarification...good for them. But let me digress a little bit.
In my home church (the First Baptist Church of St. Petersburg, Florida) a couple of months ago, our pastor presented a four-week series on sex. We have two worship services each Sunday. A nine o'clock service that is far more traditional in its presentation wherein the older members of the congregation are most comfortable attending. This service is followed at 10:45 by a much more contemporary worship experience wherein a much younger age group in years and also in attitude attends. That's the service Judi and I like to participate, we continuing to be youngsters in spirit and mind, if not in body. As one may hazard a giant leap of suspicion, a great many of the nine o'clock attendees were far less than thrilled with the pastor's selected topic and used various means often to voice their disapproving opinion. The rumbling of discontent became so loud among this minority faction that it was determined that we of an alternate opinion should offer our pastor words of encouragement and support. I was most happy to do so and suggested to my pastor that his decision to speak on the disquieting topic of sexual relations was much akin to Colonel Custer suggesting to his followers that they "travel across yon hill to see if there be any Indians," reminding him that this impromtu decision left an indelible place for Custer in history, albeit sans his scalp. Nevertheless I promised our good pastor that our family most wholeheartedly supported his topic, echoing our belief that if the God given gift of sex cannot be ennuniated Biblically from the pulpit then the marketplace of the world at large would distort it to its lowest common denominator...lust for lust's sake.
Judi and I facilitate twice a year a marriage enrichment course entitled "Dynamic Marriage," and a companion follow up course entitled "Dynamic Love," a scriptually based interactive course designed to teach married couples how to develop and maintain intimacy in spirit, mind and body. The current divorce rate is this nation hovers consistently around the 51 percentile range, with "Christian" couples fairing little if any better. Second marriages have a failure rate of 76% and re-marriages for the thrid, forth, etc., fail 93% of the time. Why? It's not because the individual couples don't care to make their marriages all they can and should be. It's that they don't know how. They don't know that there are tools, techniques, and tried and proven means of relating to one another as a married couple that can transform their marriages from humdrum to dynamic...from failure to promises renewed and joyfully kept. And if you don't think that there is a terrible misconception about the important and often overriding role that sexual relations plays in a marriage, then you haven't been married!
So yes...thank God some churches are willing to address the rampaging issue of divorce in this country and are not afraid to attack the root causes of its demise with sex within a healthy marriage being one of the most important. It is Bibically and scripturally sound to do so. Read selected scriptures from The Song of Songs (Solomon), particularly chapter two. It is a book of erotic potery. This is not two admirers of each other's phyiscal attributes that limit themselves to strictly commenting on how each looks in their double-breasted and fig leaf finery. These are two steamy lovers who have given themselves completely and unashamedly to each other as only a commited co-joined couple can and should do. Puritanism aside, sex was created by God to be fun, not just for the single purpose of procreation. If you want to work at something...work at your marriage and recognize that sex with your partner is a vital key to its successful bliss and longevity. I hope each of the married couples in The Revelant Church in Ybor City flap their bedsheets at least once a day for thirty days...and beyond. Knock yourselves out! God made each of you for each other. Share the gift of sex that God has given and be happy. It beats a sharp poke in the eye any day.
Pardon me while I share intimately the newspaper article with my dear wife. Later...
(For more information on Dynamic Love, please go to the Internet site: http//www.familydynamics.net/ There you will find an indepth presentation on what the course Dynamic Marriage teaches and the location in your area where the next 8 week course will be conducted. God said, "What a beautiful ceremony. Now invite me to the marriage.")
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