Best. Newlyweds. Ever.

In the smaller service at church we go to, we were tapped to play The Newlywed Game with two other couples up front before the sermon. I sat on a chair in stage next to one member of the other couples, and Josh and the other spouses went out of the room. We have been married 2.5 years, another couple 3, and the third for 20 years, so we were the true "newlyweds" in the game.

Those of us on stage were asked what our first date was. I named the restaurant we went to, then even mentioned we went to Best Buy after dinner. The other couples just said they went to "dinner." I thought that was unfair & was being a bit too general. We were asked what our spouse would say our biggest Pet Peeve is. I had a couple in mind, but settled on "Grammar Mistakes". The others named "Being Late" and "His Snoring". The last question for us was "Which of the following ice cream flavors describe your marriage: Peaches & Cream, Rocky Road, Vanilla, or Tutti Fruity" Ha! I said Peaches & Cream; the other two couples said Tutti Fruity.

Next came the moment of truth. Our spouses were brought out and asked the same questions, to see if the answers matched up. We amazed the crowd- not only did Josh name the restaurant AND "Best Buy" during the first question, he got the other questions right as well- the only spouse to get all three answers correct! Best newlyweds ever, right?!

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So, the sermon series going on at church is about Song of Songs, which is why there was a Newlywed Game.

What's different about this series is that, typically, when I've heard sex talked about in a church setting, the main idea is "Don't Do It. Don't Think About It. Don't Talk About It." Perhaps I have just heard these talks pre-marriage, but that's been the general gist. This series, however, takes a different approach.

• A health sexual relationship is critical for a healthy marriage.
  
• A healthy marriage is critical for a healthy family
  
• Healthy families are critical for a healthy community of Christ-followers
  
• A healthy community of Christ-followers is God's instrument for accomplishing His purposes in the world. There is no plan B.

Based on the above logic, my pastor claims that "Healthy sexuality, love and fidelity in relationships are as much on the mind of God as prayer, justice, mercy, and spiritual growth." It's a bold statement. I like that. Through this series, my ever-and-always-adoring husband has been even more adoring, and I like that, too. I've been more conscious of my words I use towards him. And, our small group bible study, for lack of other ideas, has been going along with the series, using discussion questions to guide our time.

This week's sermon was, um, racier than the previous two. And there's lots of good thoughts there, but not so much for public discussion. And the small groups ministry agreed, and didn't even publish a study guide. And we're supposed to be leading our meeting tonight, with nothing to go on. Fun stuff. Our plans? A lighthearted Newlywed Game that everyone plays! Can't hurt, right? Well, unless you look at some of the "newlywed game" questions I'm finding online about breast size and vaginal dryness and other really not-appropriate things to talk about. I'll definitely weed those out. Couples can have their own discussions about the sermon topic privately.

The Google Keywords in the post are very, very sketchy.