Among the many intriguing characters of Holy Scripture is the Northern Kingdom prophet Hosea(circa 8-7 century BC). He’s the man God called to marry a “prostitute” named Gomer as radical form of prophetic performance art. It’s a tragic relational story. Gomer is regularly found in beds and the arms of other men. All the while, Hosea continues to pursue her and redeem her, even paying a type of pimp for her to come home. “Their” children are named: Jezreel, (as a comment on King Jehu’s dynasty), Loruhamah (not loved), and Loammi (not my people). The story of Hosea makes it pretty clear that the children are not all Hosea’s.
There has been so much talk within the protestant world about loving Jesus Christ but not being too crazy about the church. At times the suggestion is made that bride of Christ frequently whores herself, sleeping with other partners; i.e. the state, modernity, “the will to power”, economics, the church’s own dogma about God, etc. There is no doubt that we, as followers of Christ, are prone to wander, our eyes often search the horizon for more immediate gratification. We are modern-day Gomers. And those moments of pleasure produce real children, which forever flavor our stories.
In addition being part Gomer, I find that I am simultaneously part Hosea. I love the church and keep running after her, and trying to buy her back. While I also carry hurt, disappointment, even embarrassment regarding my love for whoring-bride (which includes me). At times I feel the fool for believing that “this time it will be different.” And am shocked to discover that my best intentions at wooing her back create still more children; they too flavor our stories.
I am both Gomer and Hosea. Part of me would like to say that the calling of the pastor is the calling to be Hosea – and it may be – but every bit as much the calling of the pastor is to own one’s Gomer-heart and surrender to the wooing of the Groom.
What might it mean for us – as both Hosea and Gomer – to pursue each other and to serve “our” children? Does the world need more children bearing names like “not loved” or “not my people”?
Peace, dwight
Interesting thought to ponder–Gomer and Hosea both pursuing each other. The last thing I want to conceive (and then raise) are more children with crazy names. I think a good name is Beloved Child of God.
I wonder how seriously the leaders of churches consider marriage? Not just their own marriages, but the concept of marriage – how it is modeled in the membership process and leadership of their own churches. Do many pastors look at membership at the level of, say, joining Toastmasters or Rotary? (These are fine clubs, but they are just clubs.) Or do they look at membership at a level of seriousness thats closer to marriage, than club membership?
Nowadays, the largest Protestant "denomination" is ex-Protestants. The vast majority of these people put a lot of time, effort and money into making their "marriage" (church membership) work, only to be spurned by unresponsive leadership. (Chuck Swindoll said "The number one reason people leave a church is unresolved conflict.")
Years ago, churches had "Couples Ministries", and all that was required was that you be a "couple". So, for the Valentines banquets, and Christmas dances, you didnt have to be married, a guy (or gal) just had to have a "date". This respect for marriage seems to have gone away.
Nowadays, a large number of churches are "womens churches". I meet lots of guys who casually refer to a church as "my wifes church". The "top-down" leadership of fifties-vintage church doesnt work today. Nowadays, the men in the community are better educated, and educated at better colleges, than most pastors – posing a threat?
In my experience with church planting, its very important to include the spouses, especially the spouse of the senior pastor, in order for a plant to succeed. This makes for (scale-free?) networks that are more detailed, but not necessarily more complicated. A leader doesnt have to rack his brain to make the networks work, he merely has to pay attention. Soon, the emergent (but I really like the term Ultra-Modern) church will recognize the couples paradigm, and hop aboard. The emergent church is still in its "freshman" year (college years are like "dog years" – itll take a few more years for emergent paradigms to resemble "sophomore" relationships.)
On the flip side, it surprises me how much the leadership of existing, traditional churches exhibitss poor "marriage behavior". Back in the fifties, a well-known church had a huge bus ministry (which we all copied), but their pastor got into wife-swapping. But, only a couple years ago, a bunch of pastors from the same denomination invited me to a wife-swapping ring, (which I declined). Things havent changed much in half a century. The Baptists just banned McLaren (and probably some others) from their meeting. Do we try to work these differences out, or just "divorce" the problems?
Whenever we "do" ministry, maybe we should look at the impact, and influence of couples on that ministry, and not just look at the (disconnected) individuals?