November 8, 2019 Word of the Week

The prophet Hosea (of the Old Testament) wrote these words from God: When Israel was a child, I loved him,  and out of Egypt I called my son. (Hosea 11:1)

God speaks to God’s people (Israel) as a parent to a child. God loves the community of God’s people, and reminds them here that God rescued them from slavery in Egypt.

Verses 3 & 4 use the most tender language to describe God’s love for God’s people then… and now. God teaches, leads with kindness, caresses cheeks, and feeds us.

In turn, the prophet also recounts all the ways that the people of God have been unfaithful to God by worshiping and aligning themselves with false gods. In spite of our failings to ignore and reject God’s love, the bonds of God’s love cannot be broken, even by disobedience.

The reading ends with God’s lament and promise: God will not stop loving God’s people.

One of my colleagues reminded me our theme song for this reading could be the classic 1987 hit of Rick Astley:

Never gonna give you up
Never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry
Never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you

[Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” was also nominated.]

God speaks of unbreakable love in our reading this week!
Do you know it applies to you?
Today? Right now?
No matter what’s happening in your life?
It’s true! God’s love for you is unBrEAKablE!
In the name of the God of Wondrous Love,
Rev. Bonnie WilcoxSenior Pastor

• Hear the beloved hymn, “What Wondrous Love is This,” from the St. Olaf Choir HERE. We’ll sing this on Sunday, too.
• Here’s an acoustic version by Chelsea Moon and the Franz Brothers: Acoustic Wondrous Love