Somethings never change. Two beautiful days of spring warmth have returned to rain and cold. I am limping from another ankle injury and its Monday. So let’s get on with the excitement….
Marrying Prostitutes
Yesterday I preached on the book of Hosea, one of my favorite Old Testament books. The title of my sermon was, “What if God wanted you to marry a prostitute?” The book of Hosea is at the same time heartbreaking and wonderfully encouraging. Listening to God talk about his feelings of betrayal from Israel’s unfaithfulness is not easy. Hearing Hosea name his children, massacre, not loved, and disowned is haunting. Realizing how often I am unfaithful to my Lord leaves me speechless. And yet there is such hope in God sending Hosea back to his wife Gomer to redeem her and to purchase her back and to restore her as his wife. I love this book and its beautiful balance of God’s discipline and mercy.
What really struck me, preaching through it for the first time, however, was the calling of Hosea. God called Hosea to marry a promiscuous woman, and he told him upfront. There are a lot of things God calls us to in life that we don’t fully understand or know the difficulty of until we are in them. But here Hosea gets told upfront about what he will face. I am not sure if that makes the calling harder or easier. I am sure, however, that we have the same calling. We are called to marry prostitutes, to love and forgive those who will betray us and be unfaithful to us. That is no easy calling, and I am sure it isn’t easy for God either.
News that isn’t New
A new study shows that a lot of kids are addicted to video games. Not surprisingly video game addiction and ADD have a high corollary. I am sure obesity is in there as well.
The hottest thing to ever hit the internet? Of course it is a 47 year old Scottish singer.
Interesting article on the use of brain stimulants and the growing culture that is experimenting on their effects. Adderal or Ridlin anyone?
It will be Lebron and Kobe in the NBA Finals. There is no question of this fact.
Anyone notice that the Yankees really stink? Anyone else feel like doing a little dance of joy with me over their discomfort and lack of mojo in their new home?
When a Win Isn’t a Win
During this last election when the state of California voted down Gay Marriage it seemed as if the issue might finally be defeated. Instead, it seems as if that is the last victory gay marriage opponents might ever see. There is a palpable shifting taking place in our country regarding gay marriage. When Iowa is on board with it, you get the feeling the battle really isn’t a battle anymore.
In ten years or 15 years will Gay Marriage even be a conversation starter in our country? It may for conservative Christians, but everyone else seems to be moving to a place where it is a foregone conclusion.
The question is, “How will the church respond if gay marriage is widely legalized?” I am sure that there will be conservative strongholds, especially within the South, where gay marriage won’t be legalized for a long time if ever, but for churches in areas where it is already legalized or soon to be so, how will they respond? Will the divide between the church and culture in those areas continue to enlarge? Will more churches change their stances on homosexuality to try and stay relevant? Will we see a pulling away from culture by churches as they try to maintain their moral standards?
I don’t think the church will win this battle in our culture, which isn’t to say we shouldn’t fight it, but it is probably time for us to ask questions for how it will change things when the battle is over. If gay marriage wins the day what then shall we do?
April 21, 2009 at 3:17 pm
Rich,
You’re right. I’m sorry if I made it in my comments that I thought that employers and housing providers could discriminate. That’s not what I was intending at all. My basic premise is that if a company provides a service, as you said, that is not a basic right then it can limit whom it wants to do business with.
The homosexual couple had other resources in New Mexico, I’m assuming, to turn to than just that one photography company.
Again, I am sorry if my response in any way made it come off to state something that I didn’t intend. I will blame the end of a long semester, lack of sleep, and getting married next month for my lack of clear thought on that one. Still not an excuse.