...one can begin to suggest areas where the theological message of Hosea relates to theological issues the church has struggled with in every era of its existence. If one views Baalism as a cultural expression of a Canaanite religious worldview, the true comparison for modern application is not limited to situations where pagans are worshiping idols in India or involved in some perverted sexual cult in some faraway country. The Canaanite culture needs to be copmared to the British culture, the Hutu culture, the American culture, or the Brazilian culture.
Each of these countries has a popular "religious" philosophy of life that explains how the world works. Each culture includes ethical standards for appropriate conduct, ecomonic ways of gaining prosperity (fertility in ancient Near Eastern terminology), and an explanation of how people are related to the divine powers. The questions that the church in every culture must ask are similar to the questions Hosea raises. Are the people who claim to be believers actually the people of God, or have they so accepted the popular religious culture of their day that they, like Israel, are "not my people"? Has the syncretism of the church with modern religious culture so infiltrated the fiber of the fellowship that people can no longer see a distinction between the two? Has the church lost its identity by compromising its beliefs and accepting the moral standards of the society that the church was supposed to transform?
Some in the emerging church discussion are asking very smiliar questions to Hosea! I meet for prayer with several lol's (little old ladies) once a month on Tuesdays. My faith and their faith are in very different places. My beliefs and their beliefs are very different. Much of their thinking and prayers are based on a popular religious philosophy of how to get ahead in life and how God interacts with us. Very little of it is shaped by Scripture especially not Hosea! Please know I love and care for each of them greatly! Yet they fail to recognize how much the American popular religious philosohpy has influenced their lives.
And quite frankly, it is unappealing to me and to many "natives" in today's culture!
1 comment:
What made you do a sermon on Hosea? Think you could post the script, outline, or what not on here?
Why is your beliefs different from theirs? I guess due to the fact we come from a different culture within our society. But then does not our views also come from a popular religious philosophy, be it a PoMo one instead of modern. How do we filter our American Jesus and find the true within? (This is a series right now my college program is going through!)
I feel that we, as Post Moderns, throw out all of the ideas of Modern man, yet even with them are countless Kernels of Truth, what and where are they?
I guess I am stuck in the quest of trying to figure out what is basic Christianity? I know JC didn't die for buildings and potlucks! How is our 'new yet old' Jesus different? Our new way our looking beyond society, yet engaging in culture has me lost, searching for the way to do this!
How is your views different from those of these ladies (& uh, are they reading this!? lol) Am I willing to leave my comfort zone to find a the true, or best I can know, true Jesus?
Is either of your faiths holding someone back from heaven, or better, holding some1 back from truly worshiping God?
Sorry for the long comment! And Thanks for such an awesome entry, it really made me think! Mind if I cut and paste a little of it onto my journal? (=
Ken (=
lukefrog2002@AOL.com
http://journals.aol.com/lukefrog2002/KensTherapy/
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