Yesterday I was able to enjoy some time hanging with David. We went to the Saturday evening church service he attends, and the speaker gave an excellent talk on God's design for marriage and the way it is to be a picture of our relationship to God/the Church's relationship to Christ. It hadn't quite clicked in the same way before about how Christ had left his Father and took on flesh to be one with his bride, the church. (Eph 5:31-32 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.) I loved the themes we covered at BVBC in Revelation of the groom and bride being reunited. Talk about the all-time long distance relationship. I felt something of Christ's longing to gather up his beauty and bring her home.
The speaker started in Ephesians, went back to Genesis and then over to Hosea. He pointed out that God's intention in this most unusual prophecy was that everytime the people saw Gomer sleeping around and cheating on poor Hosea, they would remember that is how they are treating him. What an amazing object lesson, especially when Hosea has to go and buy Gomer from the slavery she should herself into. He pointed out that by buying back a slave, she was more or less his to do whatever he wanted to with her, but what he did was show a profound and generous reclaiming love. It reminded me of a song that Joe had introduced to me back in my old small group and has always resonated with me.
The Song of the Harlot
~ The Violet Burning
In the night, the harlot moves across the floor
She turns the handle on the door
A hundred eyes seem to look right through her
Why she's there they're not sure
Behind her love, she falls down to her knees
Without a word, she begins to weep
And her tears, they fall down upon his feet
She smothers them with kisses
And she dries them with her hair
In my life, sorrow has kissed my lonely heart
Fear of man tears me apart
And I try, but many times I've loved the world
So many times I've been the whore
And I cried a million tears, or maybe more
So many times I have been the whore
I will fall down on my knees
And I will sing "I love you"
I will sing "I love you, my love"
And my tears, they fall down upon your feet
Let me smother them with kisses
Let me dry them with my hair
Cos if I could be anyone at all
Well, if I could be anyone at all
Let me be the whore at your feet
The whore at your feet
2 comments:
Glad you got something out of the sermon. I remember I had issues accepting Rick's teachings. Another one of many pride issues. But they have gotten very good as of late. I think he will make an excellent minister.
Joey (the next guy in line replacing Rick when he leaves) and others have said that they want me to be ready to replace Joey when he leaves. That is a huge and ominous burden to me.
I'm borrowing that CD from Joe right now! He gave it to me last week in Sunday school, and I asked him if I could hang onto it for another week. That's one of my favorite songs!
Post a Comment