Hosae

You're going to be getting a lot of pics like this as it's the view out my kitchen window.

Hello again! If you're wondering why it's been over a week since I last posted about Pilgrim it's because I've moved to the Wednesday group. So, I've got a little update on my Pilgrim progress. It is week two and I had done my homework before turning up, what a result. While I have been setting the alarm for 6:45 every morning so I manage to slot in some prayer or bible study before class, it was a relief that I didn't have to be out the door for 7:30 this time, hooray. Instead it was a very civilized lunch/afternoon tea type affair. Maureen, I know you're not reading this but your victoria sandwich is fantastic. So I've done the 'class' for this week and now I want to share it with you. Same format as last time: I'll pick out some words or phrases that particularly resonated with me in this account, which was Hosea 11.1-4

'a child' 11.1

'called' 11.2

'the more they went away' 11.2

'idols' 11.2

'they did not know' 11.3

'led'11.4

'bent down' 11.4

The first thing I noticed when I read the passage was the constant allusions to the image of a child. The figure of a child poses lots of interesting connotations from innocence to being petulant. Written from the standpoint of God as a father, the passage allows all of these connotations to be used, with those who have children finding reference in their own lives. I don't have children so this isn't an easy one for me, but being a Brownies leader for five years I get the variety in children's behavior. One thing I observed as a leader is that although the children were all different, some in more pleasing ways than others, they all had one thing in common- they're not 'fully formed' but that's okay. In using 'fully formed' I mean that you can tell children aren't quite done yet: they say odd things, they don't have full control over their limbs, and they struggle with abstract concepts. In portraying 'Israel' as children, we are able to acknowledge that we are not perfect beings and that God knows that we don't always know what we are doing, and that we haven't learned how to'grow up' spiritually. But even though we are clumsy he still loves us as a parent would. The concept of a parent is for another day as we use the term so we can quantify the type of relationship, even though it is divine and nothing like the bonds of humankind.

'Called' and 'the more they went away' really mean a lot to me. Obviously 'call' is in the title of my blog so that's a bit of a giveaway. I feel called. I haven't heard a voice like you would if you were called on the phone, it's something without words that's more like a magnet pulling me to something without my control. My rational mind is going 'get a 9-5 job you can leave at the office', but my subconscious is saying 'you'd do a good job as a vicar'. Now if my calling is quite specific and it took me a while to find it, how could Israel respond when called? They are called but the passage frames their response as ignoring God rather than not hearing, in the next part 'the more they went away'. It's like asking a child to write their Christmas thank you cards- the more you nag, the more reluctant they are to do it (definitely not me as a child.....). For me, I'm teetering on the edge of this phase. People often recount their calling with three stages, one of which is denial. I'm now thinking 'are you sure it's me?'; I'm not really the most likely candidate for the job and I know lots of people that would probably do a better job. Unlike this account I am not going to run away but believe in myself that actually I'd be alright and could help people. I've also released it on social media so there's no going back now or the parish will be after me with pitchforks...

This passage really goes full throttle with the whole child analogy. Israel are reported to worship 'idols' which is a stab in the carotid artery for God (you know, if he has one, probably not). Again I can't fully understand the passage for a lack of children but I'd imagine it to be crushing for you, as a parent, to be replaced. They don't want to grow up to be like mum anymore, they want to be like Stephanie from 8C because she's cool and doesn't remember having to teach you how to use a spoon or tie your shoes. The idols are a 'cool' replacement, what they want not what they need, like the opposite of the Dark Knight. But through this phase God was there even if 'they did not know'. In our lives he is with us and providing for us even if we don't know it. Life can deal out some pretty crap hands and while we may thing we are all alone with our problems and burdens he is still there to help. Sometimes thing happen that we attribute to just happening but we don't see who's behind it.

The last two quotes on my list can be interpreted very differently depending on what version you are looking at. Pilgrim speaks about and infant but my bible speaks about a yoke like a horse so I'm going to leave them be as not to confuse anyone else on the Pilgrim course. Coming up this week is my trip to the diocese vocations day. Saturday I'll be trundling down to the city for some interesting seminars on what working for the church is like and the opportunities within it, so stay tuned.