I would one of the first people to expound on the gift that God has given us in our sexuality. Of course I am also one who believes that sexuality is not defined by a single act. I am reminded of the wonderful book The Sexual Celibate. While sex is a great gift to be thoroughly explored and enjoyed, it is again not just a single act and it is not be be abused.
When I was being ordained many years ago, we were asked to carefully consider (and sign) a document that agreed that should our spouse die, we would remain celibate. There was some chatter that if you had young children or were perhaps inordinately attached to sexuality, you might be granted a dispensation to the rule. You might be allowed to get remarried. I recall struggling a great deal with this. I still recall sequestering myself in the seminary chapel, deep in prayer trying to think about such a decision. I have a clear recollection that God spoke to me that day and said "this will not be a problem for you", sign anything they ask, have faith. And so I did. Through a series of personal revelations and therapy I later realized later that I was gay. My spouse and I released each other form our vows and I was formally laicized by the Roman church. Problem solved?
No matter who we are, the gift of sexuality looms large in our lives. It is not something to be ignored and it is not something to be abused. While we are sexual, physical beings, there is a spiritual aspect to us that cannot be denied. Our spiritual nature rises above everything else. While our sexuality can point to the spiritual and be a glimpse of heaven on earth, it is not to be confused with the totality of who we are or where we are headed, our divine inheritance and nature.
Sounds sort of deep to me. I can't help but think of one of my grand kids with a room full of toys. I might ask, why do always play with the same toy all the time, you have so many?
I would ask the same of us, if sexuality is a gift from God, why would we 'play' with only that one 'toy' all the time to the distraction and detriment of everything else that is so important in our life.
Lord for all of the gifts you grace us with, for joyfulness, moderation and perspective, we pray.
Romans 8:1-11
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.
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