Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Sex and Kingdoms

Leviticus 18

I see I forgot to name yesterday's blog.  I think maybe it was because I saw what was in today's chapter!  Churches have been talking about sex a lot this last decade or so (maybe longer and I was just unaware).  Members as well as whole congregations were uncomfortable with discussing it, but it happened anyway.  I discussed sex more in the church once I hit middle age than I had my entire life anywhere else.  This is a good thing according to some.  I disagree.  First off, no one needs to be informed of the particulars of anyone's sex life.  Unless that is, of course, someone feels the desire to discuss their own promiscuity in context of a confession and then it goes no further than the confessional.  Second of all, some of us would rather proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ than think and talk about sex as much as the church on earth has been doing.  Where is the priority?  Where should it be?   

No, I don't think I'm prudish in desiring to talk about Jesus instead of the sex lives of others.  Maybe prudent, as I just think the church has a mission and I don't think that mission includes dividing the church on earth.  It is not part of our mission to divide the wheat from the tares or to decide which are wheat or tares.  The discussions that Lutherans (and other denominations) have been involved in have been dividing.  They have been hurtful to people on every side.  So many congregregations, families, friends divided over sex talks in the church. 

There are times when we must discuss sex.  One of the times that I feel like it is necessary to do so is in confirmation class when we are discussing the commandments - specifically adultery.  No adultery!  I remind our young people that when God joins two people and they become one - they are really joined - they are really one.  For better or worse they will never be separated again so I caution them very strongly to stay far away from pre-marital sex.  Sex is not only a physical, but a spiritual event.  For those two spirits will be intertwined forever.  No matter how many partners they may have in the future, they will take a part of their previous partners into bed with the next and that could be devastating to future relationships and to their own happiness and peace of mind.

I also discuss this intertwining of not just body, but spirit when I am meeting with couples who are planning to marry - to be joined as one.  No adultery!  No promiscuity!  Do not make unholy what God has made holy.  As I've said before in this blog, God did not make up these laws for his sake, but for ours.  There's good reasons for them, even if we don't always quite get the reasons. 

Jesus Christ came to reconcile all people to God in His Kingdom.  If something is threatening to separate you from your first love, the love of God, then don't do it!  If you are so focused on something that is of this world that you have forgotten about the pleasure to be found in the presence of God in His Kingdom, then please consider where your priorities (your treasures) really are. Yes, God gave us life here on earth to live abundantly.  We should enjoy that life.  But, don't forget to live that life in God's presence.  That is where you will find real joy.

This is getting long, but a story....  Years ago while teaching a confirmation class, one of the young people asked me why they should want to be saved and go to heaven.  "What's so good about heaven?" she asked.  Really good questions.  Why indeed?  Is it not so that we can be reconciled to God?  If it's not that, what is the purpose?  If it's not to live in God's presence in His Kingdom, but  merely the fear of death that incites us to claim to believe, then are we really Christians?  In the church we often talk about why we need to be saved (we're sinners), but how often do we actually discuss for what are we being saved?  How about for life in God's loving presence, in his Kingdom?  What was Jesus' proclamation and what good news did he tell the disciples to go and proclaim if it was not the kingdom of God?  I've a taught a few classes on the two kingdoms to lay people and it has never failed to amaze me how many Christians of many years have never heard of the two kingdoms.  How could they not? Is no one teaching and preaching the kingdom of God? 

Notice how I've moved from talking about sex to the kingdom of God?  I do that a lot...  That is... move toward the Kingdom of God in most of my conversations.  I guess that may be because I find sex talk (and a few other topics) in the church being about the law (what you can or can't do) and the law it seems has been superceding the proclamation of Good News of the Kingdom of God through Jesus Christ.  I have been called to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord to all people.  That is what I do.

May God grant you joy in His Kingdom, even now.

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