Several of my staffer friends and I at Granger Community Church predicted that this series and our
promotion method would create two kinds of buzz - positive buzz that would hopefully help lots of folks who aren't attending church or trusting Jesus into our services... and negative buzz by some church-going folks who simply don't get it.
There's already some negative buzz around the blogsphere. I love Todd Rhodes over at Monday Mornings Insights. He gets that we're about helping people get a good look at Jesus so they hear that God says they matter. Todd also has a great way of starting a conversation on-line that generates ...well, lots of controversy. His post yesterday, linking to our PureSex series promotion, resulted in both negative and positive buzz.
In the end we really care that the folks in our community know that we believe they matter to God. I love being in a church where Christ-followers:
- are committed to investing in relationships with their friends and family, eager to use the tool of the weekend service to help them see Jesus.
- accept that as humans (believers or non-believers), we all have a sex life - active, in-active, lame, or hot. We're sexual beings, created that way by God.
- are learning the intricate connection between our sexuality and our spirituality. Our identity, intimacy in relationship and expression of who we are with God and others is all tied complexly and intentionally together.
- acknowledge that it's healthy and honoring (to both God and the people we love) to learn how to love better.
So, pray with us that God will use the legitimate interest people have in love and sex to help us connect them with the Creator who geniusly designed humanity for wholeness in relationship.
Oh, one more thing: Happy Valentine's Day!
P.S. - Suggested Reading: Song of Solomon (warning: the book starts with this phrase, "Kiss me full on the mouth!" and goes from there...)
