As For Me and My House

I came across this video while looking for another song this morning... I like it.

As a wife who desires godly leadership, watching this portrayal of men "cross the line of decision" to lay aside "sins which so easily beset"...it is especially beautiful.

The video put me in the mindset of things that God has brought our family through as well as things He is still perfecting in our home...things that may never actually be perfect, but are mercifully under His grace.

It fanned the flames of gratitude in my heart.

I am glad He hasn't stopped at mere salvation- as if that were any small wonder...Christ redeems,  restores and refines me  ... us.

GOMER: A Modern Take

Last night, in our continuing journey through Experiencing God (or back thru, as it were for some) we covered God's desire for a relationship with us that is both real and intimate... the scriptural base for last night was Hosea...

Today, when the kids and I started to catch up on our archived DVR Wretched episodes, the topic was Depression--- we were told if we are depressed, we may consider reading our Old Testament... and where else, but Hosea... we were also reminded that we should read it with ourselves in the place of Gomer...

A video was shown throughout the television broadcast-apparently a sermon supplement for the included church/ sermon series below. It is a modern take on Hosea & Gomer -  The Big Kids all thought it was an interesting story until I told them that they were Gomer...

"Oh, wow... o.k.... that's cool!" said one of my big kids... (not being Gomer, mind you... rather understanding how very, very loved they are by God.)

Try it. 

You might like it.

(this post has been updated to combine all 6 video clips in one post... and sans my attempt to share relevant examples from my life... )

The Covenant Love of God (Hosea 1 - 2:1)
In this modern day telling of the book of Hosea, Hosea has entered into a covenant with Gomer just as God has entered into a covenant with his people, us. We have not merely broken God's law; we have broken God's heart. We have grieved him. Despite all our spiritual adultery, we cannot exhaust the love of God and we deserve to be shown "No Mercy" and called "Not My People", but because Jesus was shown no mercy and was forsaken by the Father, we can rest secure in God's love for us. There is nothing in us that can evoke the love of God, and there is nothing in us that can exhaust the love of God. 
The Tough Love of God (Hosea 2:1-13)

In this modern day telling of the book of Hosea, Hosea has entered into a covenant with Gomer just as God has entered into a covenant with us, his people. We are adulterers, running to other lovers. God allows us to chase the wind, however, he does not walk away from us. He does not abandon us. He is ready to welcome us home. There is nothing in us that can evoke the love of God, and there is nothing in us that can exhaust the love of God. He will wait for us to return. 

The Tender Love of God (Hosea 2:14-23) 
Hosea shows tender love to his adulterous wife. Amidst her wayward heart he awaits for Gomer to return, alluring her back to himself, and speaking tenderly. It is almost scandalous how much God continues to love us despite our adultery. He does not abandon us, he puts his arms around us, and longs for us to come home. 
Will we allow him to forgive us when we've strayed? 

The Redeeming Love of God (Hosea 3)--- Gomer is wrapped up in the depth of her brokenness, and Hosea knows what it will take to get her back. Redemptive Love goes in eyes open, knowing everything. God does not redeem us based on goodness, but in spite of our badness. He knows the worst about us, but redeems us anyways. He offers us our ring back, beckoning us to come to back to him. 

The Love of God: Our Response (Hosea 6) Gomer is battling her past while all the while Hosea beacons her home. The regret of her past haunts her and the choice sits in front of her. Hosea knows exactly where she's been and what she's done, and still he wants her heart. Often times the fear of acknowledging the depth of our brokenness keeps us from repentance. However, God sit's across from us as if saying, "I know where you've been, I know what you've done. Come to me". 

God is offering us a covenant, a ring to slip on our finger. He knows your story, he walked with you thru it, and still he wants you. Will we accept it?

The Relentless Love of God (Hosea 14) 
Finally Gomer has returned to Hosea. Sliding the ring back on her finger she has accepted his invitation to come back home and live back in the covenant she has made with him. Even though Hosea's love is unfailing for Gomer he can not save her from the consequences she must experience for the sin she has lived in. In-spite of all this, his love is relentless. He loves her, holds her and will not walk away from her. Thinking of this story in modern day human terms it is a very difficult story to embrace. Would we really ever be able to forgive someone who has caused that much hurt to themselves and to us? But God's love is beyond human love. It is relentless. God does not love us because of who we are or what we do, he loves us in-spite of it. One of the hardest parts of coming to God is accepting that his love covers all the brokeness we bring. 

Listen to the sermon here: http://www.irvingbible.org/media/

To read the complete here:http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=hosea%2014&version=NIV

Written by: Rachael Currie and Josh ReadDirector: Josh ReadProducer: Rachael CurrieEditor: Josh ReadMusic: 0952 by Olafur ArnaldsHosea Character: Doug HaleGomer Character: Kameron DouglasDoctor: Rachael CurrieGomer's Lover: Richard CarpenterCinematographer: Cody DulockProduction Designer: Rachael CurrieAfter Effects: Cody Dulockhttp://www.youtube.com/JoshReadVideo

http://www.rachaelcurrie.com

http://www.dulockproductions.com

labels

I'm not Baptist...I'm blood-bought.

And so are you...whatever your label.

Let Me Tell You....

We all need to remember....every single day... from whence we came....

Idol Worship

A friendly reminder...

Dallas Wiens

I am an unabashed prowler of library recycle bins- I especially look for magazines, because I like to cut those up - mince words if you will...

On a good day, I will happen across a stack of The New Yorker 

(leave that Yankee/Reb stuff at the door...I LIKE The New Yorker, ya'll...)

In a recent back-issue of one such 'library adoption', the February13, 2012 issue, I read the article 'Transfiguration'.

 It is the story of Dallas Wiens, one of the United States' first full face transplant recipients.

Dallas lost his face when he was struck by an electric volt---while painting a church. 

In the article, Dallas gives God glory and  proclaims his life one of transformation- from one who was living life for himself, to one who has submitted his life to God.

 Dallas says he knows he was running from God and he believes God took his face to save his life...

I'm including a video taken at what appears to be Dallas' former school, prior to the transplant surgery- it is rather long- but in it, Dallas speaks with the students about his accident and encourages them that, no matter what seems to be hard or bad in their lives, God is standing right beside them, waiting on them to turn around, into His embrace...we could all use that reminder sometimes.

If you don't have time for the entire video, this segment begins around the 14mm

There are some other great videos and photos on Dallas' site.
Especially precious are those of him with his young daughter-before and after the accident. 

I can't help but wonder if I could travel through such extraordinary circumstances and still have good things to say about God. Of course, I love to believe I would... but in my humanity, in humility,  I think...wow, I don't know... sometimes I pitch a such a hissy fit (to God) over the silliest stuff...I've got a long way to go on the whole long-suffering lesson, I assure you...

What about you? Do you feel like your faith would be shaken if God asked you to surrender the very basis of your identity? Do you worry that admitting you would be shaken invites God to do bad things in your life? Are you running from God; living life on your own terms?

Do you really want things to come down to an end where losing your face is a mercy?

Don't you know that losing your identity in the image of the One who formed you is the beginning of measureless Grace?

There, but for the Grace of God, go I, indeed.