In the church culture I grew up in, one of the last topics we wanted to talk about was sex. In fact, in college our standing joke was coming up with over-the-top ice-breaker questions: "Okay, let's go around the circle and share our name and our secret sin."

We laughed because that sin was assumed to be sex-related, and the idea of talking about it with relative strangers—or even small group regulars—was inconceivable. Might as well go directly to Bible study and prayer.

More recently that cultural tide has shifted dramatically.

My friend and former colleague at Christianity Today, Mickey Maudlin, recently wrote: "A wise Episcopal priest and college professor described a surprising discovery he made while meeting regularly with college students: 'First they talk about class matters, then boyfriends and girlfriends, and if you pass that test, they will start opening up about their sexuality. Later, if they learn they can trust you about these ...