Dear Church Family,
We began a much-anticipated teaching series on Sunday titled “Biblical Sexuality: Some Considerations”. The anticipation of this series has been with some fear and trepidation. That is not just because sexuality is a very personal and therefore a sensitive subject. . It is also because it is in the area of sexual morality that the traditional understanding of Biblical ethics is the most at odds with our culture today. In a nutshell, the traditional understanding is that the Bible teaches that sexual relations are for a marital relationship between a man and a woman and should not be practiced outside of that. And this understanding differs markedly from the perspective of our surrounding secular culture. In the message on Sunday, I explored the perspective on sexual ethics in our secular culture and the challenge that this presents to Christians. I quoted from a recommended book, Sex and the iWorld by Dale Kuehne (correctly pronounced “Keen” by the way).
The proverbial elephant in the room for this topic is the controversial issue of homosexuality, so I spent much of the time on that issue and the challenge it presents to us. (You will need to listen to the message online as I will not be trying to summarize it hear). However, the teaching series is about sexuality in general and will explore the importance and implications of how all of us think about and live out our sexuality. Future messages will include examining how biblical authors understood and related to the cultural perceptions of sexuality that they encountered, studying the foundational passages in the Genesis account of creation, considering a healthy theology of our physical bodies, sexuality and singleness, and sexuality and marriage. We will return to specifically addressing the topic of homosexuality again toward the end of the series.
This should not be viewed as a neatly packaged COSC teaching on Biblical Sexuality. This issue is very complex with many different angles and confusions. There is simply not time enough to include everything or even offer thorough explanations for what we will include. This is a topic that we need to discuss and wrestle with as a community. This series offers considerations for that wrestling. Stuart and I cannot do all of the work for you. All of us need to “think man think, sweat baby sweat.”
Stuart and I would like to engage with your questions and reactions to the messages so we know what we might need to clarify or explain more thoroughly. We welcome and value your e-mails. We have also set up a link for you to communicate anonymously if that would be more comfortable for you.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1OdmCupAlkylPafMuXhwBUFJrkELZ0JgyEbdFJ6CF3xA/viewform
Homegroups will be discussing the messages with questions that we will be providing. The purpose of these discussions will be to allow people to wrestle with these considerations together. Our goal is the goal of Paul’s prayer for the Colossians in 1:9-10 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. We believe that the Holy Spirit uses discussion to accomplish this within and amongst us. It is very important that everyone feels the freedom to express their perspectives and questions, especially where there might be disagreement. We want to have the mind of God, but we are all in process of attaining that, none of us have arrived. The more that we seek to understand one another when we do disagree, the more we will all grow in wisdom and discernment. So, when encountering someone with a different perspective, we do not have to agree with that perspective in order to value its contribution to a discussion. We should believe that the more fully we understand different perspectives, the more we will be able to sharpen our own and be more fully aligned with the mind of God.
May the following passage be the guide to these homegroups discussions, James 3:17-18, But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Pastorally yours,
Bo
https://www.christourshepherd.org/pastlet.htm (and follow links to download MP3 audio of sermon)