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Here's a different approach to Lent:

By: Tammie Fields Ybor City – Pastor Paul Wirth says at Relevant Church located at 1731 E. 7th Avenue they're not only talking about sex they're doling out homework. He's gearing up to issue a challenge to his congregation this Sunday. Married couples must have sex for 30 days. Single members have to abstain from sex for 30 days.

Pastor Wirth says "We thought if we could challenge our married couples to really engage in intimacy for 30 days and really focus on each others needs for 30 days it would revolutionize their relationships and if we could get single people to remove sex from the equation for 30 days and focus on what really makes their relationships really work it could revolutionize their relationships the current ones that they're in and maybe their future relationships with their future spouses."

Brent Cayson is a member of Relevant Church and he's single. He says he's stoked about Sunday's lesson. "But it's definitely something you research and try to figure out. What is it that Jesus wants you to get out of it?" Becky Mahan is also single and says "It's just refreshing to have somebody finally talk about it and finally bring things up."

Carl and Kristin von dem Bussche are married church members who have two young daughters a three-year-old and a five month old. Carl says their sex life has definitely changed since they had children. He says he and his wife typically fall asleep the moment their heads hit the pillow. "It's about more than just sex. There's a lot on the guys and the relationship to really meet the emotional needs of their wives."

Pastor Wirth says “Couples across America are struggling in their relationships both married and single people. For married people it seems like the sex is great up front but then for some reason life happens. But when you're single it's like you're always thinking about it and you're like man I'd like to have it as much as possible and sometimes that prevents them from having a great really healthy relationship later on when you do get married.”

Wirth says church is an appropriate place to talk about sex. “Why not? If God truly created us then he created us as sexual beings. So God invented sex and why would the church be afraid to talk about what God invented? God invented it for pleasure along with procreation so why would the church remain silent on it? I think they're remaining silent on it because they're afraid to talk about it."

Wirth points to Song of Songs as a book in the bible that talks very specifically about sex. “I don't think sex was created in the back alleys of the porn industry. I really think God is the one who designed it and it's a beautiful thing and God wants us to enjoy it."

Oddly enough, no Episcopalians were involved in this story...