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Sermons head into bedroom

A pastor of an Odessa church has sex on his mind - more precisely, what he calls popular abuse of a God-given gift.

By MICHELLE JONES
Published August 5, 2006

ODESSA - Using a play on words from a hit television show, the Rev. Jerry Magliulo is calling his current sermon series "Desperate Sex Lives."

"It seems to have hit a nerve, and people seem interested and are at least listening," the 63-year-old pastor of the City Church Center said.

Magliulo said he created the series because of the rash of TV shows, including Desperate Housewives, that focus on sex and what he called Hollywood's abuse of a God-given gift.

His first sermon, on July 23, Sex Hijacked, was the foundation for the series.

"The television and movie industry trivializes sex as a joke and makes promiscuity the norm," he said during an interview.

Magliulo gave his thoughts about what humanism, the church and God say about sex. He said humanism is all about "me and my body," the church says it is about "function or propagation" and God says "sex is powerful, functional and enjoyable."

"When sex, the gift of God, is used within its prescribed marital context, it gives health and life," he said.

"Used outside the marital context, it is devastating and even destructive."

On the second Sunday of his series, he talked about dating and gave three examples.

"Daters are buying, renting or freeloading," he said, describing people who are looking for the perfect marital partner, looking for a live-in relationship or looking for a one-night stand.

He cautioned people who date to make sure they know what they are looking for.

"Because that's what you are going to get," he said. "Make sure if you are looking for marriage, the person has the same marriageable values."

Melissa Keiser, 32, goes to City Church. She is married to Timothy and they have a daughter. The relatively new members weren't expecting to hear about sex in church.

"It wasn't something you talked about," she said, "but he presented it with humor and packed a punch. He is absolutely adorable and has been married a long time." (Forty years, for the record.)

He warned his congregation that he would be talking about an uncomfortable topic.

"I'll look straight ahead and you look straight down," he said.

Magliulo is originally from Italy but came to Florida via New York. He helped start a church in New Port Richey 22 years ago and has led the Odessa church for 18 months.

His congregation meets at the West Pasco Industrial Park, 11134 Challenger Ave. in Odessa. The service begins at 10:30 a.m.

"I wanted to start something fresh and with a newer expression, more relevant to the new culture and to people who are moving into the area," Magliulo said. He and his wife, Mary, have two children and three grandchildren.

Staying pure in an environment where young people are continually bombarded with sexual situations is difficult, he said. He advises them to stay away from environments where they are continually alone with someone.

Keiser said the pastor told the congregation that in counseling he discovered that sexual sin is the hardest sin for people to forget.

He advised them to live by Ephesians 5:15-16, which reads: "Therefore, pay careful attention to how you conduct your life, live wisely, not unwisely. Use your time well, for these are evil days."

Using the Bible as a manual for a healthy sex life and avoiding sinful and harmful behavior will be his topic for this Sunday's sermon, Light My Fire. He will also talk about sex in marriage.

Magliulo isn't sure when the series will end. It's going so well, he may continue it for a while. The series, he said, is helping people find God's forgiveness and learn how to close wounds.

[Last modified August 4, 2006, 20:13:02]