It’s not very often that we hear the word “whore” in church. The first time I preached this text I wondered if the reader would shy away from it. But no, he spoke with bravado, sounding out “whoredom” in a loud, low voice, each time. Needless to say, there were some nervous giggles. As both a priest and a therapist I’ve learned it can be helpful to talk about the things we tend to skirt around in polite society, so let’s talk about the book of Hosea, shall we?