# Questionable Sermons in an Alabama Church



## Marrow Man (Mar 13, 2009)

A member of my congregation sent me this story about a megachurch in rural Alabama where the pastor is preaching a series on sex. I blog about it here.


----------



## apaleífo̱ (Mar 13, 2009)

Ridiculous. I can add no further comment except to say that I hope that on the evening of Reformation Day (i.e. Halloween), he is visted at one o'clock by Cotton Mather, at two o'clock by Nathaniel Ward, and at three o'clock by the most fearsome spirit of all: Jonathan Edwards.


----------



## Marrow Man (Mar 13, 2009)

That's a great idea, c. _A Reformed Carol_! I love it!

Seriously, I think you need to take that and run with it. I'll make the offer right now to co-write!


----------



## Knoxienne (Mar 13, 2009)

christabella_warren said:


> Ridiculous. I can add no further comment except to say that I hope that on the evening of Reformation Day (i.e. Halloween), he is visted at one o'clock by Cotton Mather, at two o'clock by Nathaniel Ward, and at three o'clock by the most fearsome spirit of all: Jonathan Edwards.



I'm with Marrow - awesome post! I was just going to call folks who are into that kind of "preaching" a bunch of perverts along side a string of angry firey smilies. You're a better woman than I am.


----------



## apaleífo̱ (Mar 13, 2009)

Marrow Man said:


> That's a great idea, c. _A Reformed Carol_! I love it!
> 
> Seriously, I think you need to take that and run with it. I'll make the offer right now to co-write!



Many thanks, everyone! You all have inspired me to consider penning such an account...if any of you would be interested in reading what would probably prove to be an extremely ridiculous religious satire, I'd be glad to let anyone know once I'm done.


----------



## Michael Doyle (Mar 13, 2009)

christabella_warren said:


> Marrow Man said:
> 
> 
> > That's a great idea, c. _A Reformed Carol_! I love it!
> ...



I concur. This is a brilliant idea. I pray the Lord blesses your labors toward its end and look forward to its finished product.


----------



## TheocraticMonarchist (Mar 13, 2009)

christabella_warren said:


> Marrow Man said:
> 
> 
> > That's a great idea, c. _A Reformed Carol_! I love it!
> ...



Sounds great! I would love to see it on stage. You could make it into a play for a college level drama class. There might be some reformed schools that would be interested


----------



## asc (Mar 13, 2009)

Marrow Man said:


> A member of my congregation sent me this story about a megachurch in rural Alabama where the pastor is preaching a series on sex. I blog about it here.



I'm not sure what to think about it. The controversial Mark Driscoll did his series on Song of Solomon last fall, which was largely about sex and the marital relationship.

I'm not a fan of topical studies, but if that's what they do for sermons, is it wrong for the topic to be about sex? it's certainly a Biblical topic, and the news article reported that the pastor took an orthodox stance. or is the problem that they're being so loud with their advertising?


----------



## Athaleyah (Mar 14, 2009)

The problem I see with it is that Jesus did not come and die on the cross for anyone to have a better sex life. Does telling people how to have better sex glorify God on Sunday morning? Worship is supposed to be about God, not about how to enjoy our bodies better.

-----Added 3/14/2009 at 12:36:41 EST-----

I won't say that a pastor should never talk about sex. I am saying that sermons are the wrong place. If there was a class or something for people who wanted a biblical perspective on sex, I think that would be fine.


----------



## asc (Mar 14, 2009)

Athaleyah said:


> The problem I see with it is that Jesus did not come and die on the cross for anyone to have a better sex life. Does telling people how to have better sex glorify God on Sunday morning? Worship is supposed to be about God, not about how to enjoy our bodies better.



Is not all Scripture profitable? Sex and sexual sin are addressed all over the Bible. Given all the sexual confusion and sexual sin in our society (and in the church), shouldn't it be addressed directly?


----------



## Athaleyah (Mar 14, 2009)

I added a clarification later. Sorry. I think that it is appropriate subject for Christian education, just not as part of a worship service where God is supposed to be the object.

-----Added 3/14/2009 at 12:49:42 EST-----

Actually, I think talking about what is appropriate and not appropriate sexually in God's eyes would be fine in a sermon. But not something that focuses on our pleasure.

Really, I will eventually completely put what I think together.


----------



## Matthias (Mar 14, 2009)

Its all about marketing... seriously. They dont care about preaching Gods word.. they care about publicity, which equals DOLLARS thats it


----------



## satz (Mar 14, 2009)

How long was this series supposed to run?

I am going to go out on a limb here and say I don't really understand what is wrong with a sermon series on sex. As Alex said, it is a big topic in the bible and very much part of God's word. And from what little the article disclosed about the content, it seems that the series was about God's view and rules for sex.

In concept, what is wrong with a church having a series on sex?


----------



## Matthias (Mar 14, 2009)

Weren't they calling it "Great sex: Gods Way" ? That right there seems absurd...but maybe thats just me


----------



## Theoretical (Mar 14, 2009)

I think it has less to do with seriously talking about sex than it does with the sort of fast-and-loose way it is being presented. The pulpit is necessarily a serious place, and sermons on sex and marriage, which I think _are_ important, need to be handled seriously. 

Now that does not mean they have to be euphemized into oblivion, but it does mean the same care and precision that goes into a sermon on predestination, the Trinity, or Christ's sufferings on the Cross needs to go into sermons on sex. Frank boldness about this important topic shouldn't be clinically cold, but neither should it be crass and provocative.


----------



## Timothy William (Mar 14, 2009)

Are the sermons themselves crass and provocative, or just the advertising for them?

My current church occasionally does sermon series on sex. I tend to avoid them, not because I don't think it is a topic for the pulpit, but because they always say the same thing (I could probably stand up and give the sermon myself). Marriage counselling might go into more detail, but there is really only so much a preacher can say about sex and marriage which is appropriate for the entire congregation, so the sermon series become repetitive. And as a man who is not only single but intending to stay that way, while it is still in some sense relevant, it isn't something I need to be reminded of regularly.


----------



## Grymir (Mar 14, 2009)

And I noticed on the sign in front of the church -

"Worship Experience - 9am"

hmmm


----------



## Marrow Man (Mar 14, 2009)

Grymir said:


> And I noticed on the sign in front of the church -
> 
> "Worship Experience - 9am"
> 
> hmmm



Yep. Noticed that too. Everything else seems straight out of the megachurch manual, but that was a new one for me.

I also thought it was interesting that more people show up at this church for worship than actually live in the town itself.


----------



## asc (Mar 14, 2009)

Matthias said:


> Its all about marketing... seriously. They dont care about preaching Gods word.. they care about publicity, which equals DOLLARS thats it



Unless you have personal experience with this church, I think you're making a big assumption about it all being about money. I don't agree with they're doing, but I can understand the idea by some Arminian Christians that by being sensational, you might attract the attention of non-believers and get an audience that can be reached with the gospel. Similarly you say they don't care about preaching God's word, but based on what was reported, the pastor was giving Biblical instruction regarding sexuality. This is very counter cultural. If it was all about getting more people or money, I'd think he's have more success avoiding the law of God (ie Joel Osteen).


----------

