Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Lord's Supper and Sex

Below is a story about a couple that attends Farmers Branch Church. I first heard this story while listening to Charlton Taylor's lecture on baptism at the ACU lectures. (Listen to it! Charlton explodes the idea of how baptism transforms our daily existence.) Last week, Chris Seidman, the Senior Minister at Farmers Branch (The Branch), called me at my office, and later in the conversation I asked if this story was true. He said, "Every bit of it." Below is what he wrote and shared with his faith community.

I know of a couple here at the Branch who faced the greatest challenge to their marriage earlier this year. He was an influential executive working for a corporation who had to travel out of town for a week on business. The corporation sent a new female executive with him.
They wound up working late into the evening alone and as often happens in that kind of context their relationship quickly became personal. They wound up embracing before he got a hold of himself and the situation and quickly retreated. The woman was embarrassed herself and quickly left.
It was a sleepless night for the man who was under great conviction and guilt for what had happened. The next morning he called his wife and confessed, breaking her heart. He then quickly called some of her closest sisters in Christ simply telling them his wife needed them right now. Later his wife called and said, “Finish your work and get home as soon as you can.”
After he flew into DFW, he went to the parking garage to get his car and as he was pulling out of the garage there was his wife and their small children standing at the exit of that parking garage. The kids were holding a sign – “Welcome home daddy.” Needless to say, he was completely broken by that.
They went to a restaurant and had a family meal. Then after coming home and putting the kids down, she said they needed to talk, obviously. When he came into the living room there was wine and bread set out by his wife. She told him how hurt she was and that they had some work to do on their relationship, but that after all that God had forgiven her of, how could she not forgive him. They prayed, wept, took communion together, and then she took him into the marriage bed that night.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

That story still just blows my mind. It's a beautiful example of carrying the cross, of the way of Christ, in marriage. I believe our divorce rate would plummet if we woke up every morning saying, "How will I carry the cross for my spouse today?" Thanks for bringing that story out again... so redemptive!

Rick Ross said...

Wow! That is powerful.

jenny biz said...

That gives me chills! Thanks for sharing! What a beautiful picture of Jesus!

Eric said...

Josh,
This brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for reminding us of the power of the Supper in reconciliation, new creation, hope...

Anonymous said...

That is very powerful and illustrates the depth of love.