The Senior High students heard me make reference a number of times to our sexuality in the Worldviews presentation, and they asked me to speak to them as a group about that topic in the late morning. With the permission of their leaders I took that group aside, and went through the Powerpoint materials I have been using in our schools and some of those which I have used at the University of Maine at Farmington.
As I spoke about the seriousness of sex, and the consequences of premature initiation of sexual activity there was a lot of eye contact and concerned looks on faces going back and forth. What struck me as I interacted with these teens after the presentation was how much of our culture’s values they had absorbed. Their thinking and their values on so many different sexual issues was that of the culture around them rather than that of the teaching of the Christian faith. What was especially sad was that from what I could discern they hadn’t really heard a strong presentation of a Christian understanding of sexual ethics, even though they came from Christian homes.
Moms and dads, this is not a topic we can afford to be silent on. Even if you are uncomfortable addressing it, you need to realize someone is going to teach sexual values to your children. The question is whose values they will ultimately embrace. There is grace and forgiveness in Christ, but forgiveness doesn’t do away with the consequences of STD’s and the other physical and psychological results of teenage sexual activity.
As many of you know, I was recently required by my supervisors to make a trip to the U.K. regarding my Ph.D. work. My time in Birmingham was very productive, but my time afterwards at Oxford was productive, informative, delightful, and worshipful. I especially wanted to call your attention to a message I heard delivered at St. Aldates in Oxford by Simon Ponsonby, Pastor of Theology at that amazing university church. It was hands down the absolute best message on human sexuality that I have ever heard given in a church setting. It was given to a congregation of mostly university age believers. The link to be able to download this for yourself is: http://www.staldates.org.uk/resources.asp The clip that you will want to select is that which is labeled For Joel’s Generation, and dated (the Brits list dates differently than we do) 22/6/08.
In our sex saturated culture there is a need for us to constantly address this issue, and help people of all ages to be familiar with what God’s Word has to say about the significance of human sexuality. If you are a parent of a teen or a pre-teen, then as one of your pastors I would strongly suggest that you download and listen to this with your spouse (if you are married) and then decide whether or not you want to listen to it together with your child or children.
Grace and peace.
Bill
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