Them Dry bones
Lent 5 march 9 ,2008 VALLEY OF DRY BONES
A southern preacher divided his church members into five types of bones.
1. Wishbones—Folks always wishing for better things, but never willing to work and pray for them.
2. Jawbones—The gossiping kind that keep the church in turmoil.
3. Funnybones—like the bone in the elbow that throws a person into a tizzy when it is hurt. They are touchy, wear their feelings on their sleeves, and are always talking about leaving the church.
4. Drybones—Orthodox but dead as fossils.
5. Backbones—The spiritual support of the church that keeps the body standing.
Out of all those bone types we are to be the BACKBONES.
This morning we meet in the scriptures a man by the name of Ezekiel. He is a man confronted with a congregation of God’s people who are discouraged, displaced and show many signs of being spiritually dead. They were probably a people not unlike the congregation just described. But we learn from Ezekiel’s vison that, When circumstances are bleakest, the ground is fertile for revival for growth. God took Ezekiel to a desert and gave him a demonstration of his power to revive. (what seems the most hopeless God restores)
(Bonanza, Wanted dead or alive, Steer carcus and head, bleached by sun.)
He showed him a valley of very dry, sun-bleached, brittle, and scattered bones. Then the Lord asked the question - “Can these bones live again?” (human thinking says NO WAY!) But Revival is the process of bringing to life that which was previously alive, but is not dead(no life, no animation,movement). Ezekiel played it safe here In his answer and said surely you know Lord. Humanly speaking there was no life here but divinely there was hope. The dry bones symbolized Israel’s apparently hopeless condition in exile. It was for the nation of Isreal in captivity but it also applies to any Christian who is in spiritual decay because of discouragement or persecution or illness or whaterver in life keeps us from being the worshiping creature God called us to be.
Ezekiel is told to peach to the dry bones. (God’s living WORD there is POWER in God’s Word We know that living work through His Son Jesus Christ) The bones came together, tendons and muscles were reinstated, and they were once again encased in skin Then God breathed his spirit back into those bodies, and once again God had a mighty people. (army) Hebrew -chayil /khah·yil meaning many not armed with weapons to destroy.
Some people might describe us, this parish and even this diocese or even the christain Church in North America as “Dry Bones”. (The comment coming from someone Seeing no life, or maybe only a little life of people doing God’s work in the world around them.) Maybe it is so, it does appear many people and faith communities have slipped into a state of complacency(just don’t care about God) and apathy (spiritual laziness ) but there is hope! God REVIVES. Countless examples in the scriptures testify to the renewing of life when we reach out to God in Jesus (raising of Lazarus by Jesus and his promise that all will live in Him through the spirit).
When we look at The Christian church in Canada today, I think it unfair to say it is dead(like dry bones in a desert) perhaps a better term is withered? Churches that once thrived in Christian activity and service to the wider community are closing, buildings are being deconsecrated, Parishes are being dissolved and amalgamated with other parishes to make parochial units under a team of clergy and lay ministries. It’s not all bad though. God’s saving work is seen in many Faith communities as they are finding new and fresh and invigorating ways to be “church.”
The dry and bleached bones of congregations are being transformed by God through faith and relationship in Jesus Christ. The Christian gospel is a message filled with hope. (resurrection Hope) The raising of lazareth by Jesus, is the assurance that God gives life even through death! The Christian gospel is a conviction that God is alive and at work.
When Ezeikel answered Gods Question,can these bones become living people again?’ He gave God the safe answer, ‘O Sovereign Lord, you alone know the answer to that’” He knows God is powerful enough to do anything He desires, even though through Ezeikels human eyes it was not possible. He trusted God at His word ( living Word) and put all his trust in God and we are to do the same. With our natural eyes and understanding (wishbones & jawbones) It is so easy to see the obstacles in our way, to view the mountains, and rivers and rough terrain that must be crossed to reach the place God call us. But ours is to trust, obey and let God make the way.
Our responsibility in the Lord is not necessarily do what is comfortable or satisfying to us. Our responsibility is to do what God wants (His Will). You might be thinking, How can we do that? We are certainly smaller than we once were. SS are smaller. Congregations are smaller. Income is smaller. Our resources are not as plentiful as it was 10-15-20 yrs ago. We are definitly becoming and aged congregation. BUT How we see ourselves as a Christian community is crucial to our rising from DRY BONES to LIFE. In the climate we face today as a church, parish, Diocese, what does God saying to us? What is God expecting of us? (Vision process)
I like Mottos (be Prepared, Be all you can be) Perhaps our motto should be “Get up!Go Forward, Go Farther ! Bishop Hawkins messages on “Tales of Our extravagant God” He reveals a wonderful truth. We have all we need we just need to give thanks and be faithful in using what we have to do what God Wants. (some amazing and exciting things happening in parish lately, Dinner theatre, variety show, pews turned around to make space for social time before services, there seems to be a different, more positive and energizing attitude in the parish )(Rekindling of God’s Spirit refreshing the life of the people in this place.)
Film, we showed a few weeks ago about Offering our total selves to God, even though some misunderstood and thought it was about reaching into your pockets to get more out of you. It was shown in the spirit of help us to see that God is Good and Gracious and when we give ourselves to him as offering ourselves we then start to live both personally and communally. Jn 10:10 Jesus said, “I have come that you might have life and have it abundantly.” We are resurrected in a sense of realizing who we really are as a child of The Great God in His son Jesus.
We will soon be celebrating the resurrection of our Lord, during the rest of this lent and as we enter into Holy week let our pray be for ourselves and this parish and Dioceses be: Change Our hearts Oh God and bring spiritual life and refreshment to our dry bones so that we will love and serve you by loving and serving others. Out of the 5 types of bones that make up this congregation Make us to be a backbones in your church so we may help our brothers and sisters grow strong in you Jesus. Amen