Honest Conversation about Sexuality

Onan knew that the child would not be his; so whenever he slept with his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from providing offspring for his brother. — Genesis 38:9

Yesterday we had an awkward moment in church talking about what is typically known as ‘the withdrawal method’ of birth control. And there was another awkward moment when we talked about Onan not giving Tamar the one thing she wanted - the shot at a child - but instead, giving himself pleasure instead. That’s also known as using her sexually.

Although the church usually doesn’t talk about these things, the Bible does. It gets awkward. It gets personal. It names the sexual. And it’s an invitation for us to look at our own very sexual selves and ask some questions. What does it mean that sexuality is baked into my humanity, and how do I feel about being a sexual person? How do I use my sexuality? How do I misuse it? Who do I process sexuality with (and who do I NOT process it with)? And finally - how do I integrate my spirituality and my sexuality?