He said to me "Mortal, can these
bones live?" ..."Prophesy to these bones and say to them: O dry bones hear the word of
the Lord...I will cause breath to enter you and you shall live. I will lay
sinews on you...and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know
that I am the Lord." [Ezekiel 37:1a, 3-5, 6b] Out of the depths have I called to you, O Lord; Lord,
hear my voice...For there is forgiveness with you...I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him; in his word
is my hope. [Psalm 130: 1, 3a, 4]
But if Christ is in you,
though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of
righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in
you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies
also through his Spirit that dwells in you. [Romans 8:10-11]
Martha said to him,
"I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day."
Jesus said to her, "I’m the resurrection and the life. Those who believe
in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in
me will never die." [John 11:24-26]
I know people who have had to hunker down in full-on desert sandstorms in
Iraq. They tell me it's blinding, abrading, choking, and all-around
frightening. The dunes shape-shift so swiftly as to bury and lay bare
concurrently. When the particles settle, the air is so dry it's nearly
electric. Without shelter and protection, flesh peels off limbs in sheets and, in
the aridity of the desert, you cannot tell the old bones from the new.
The bones of Ezekiel's valley
were very dry, empty, and scattered, each from the other. I’m sure even in
his vision, Ezekiel had difficulty in imagining them re-connected, re-fleshed,
and re-animated, yet through God’s instructions and Ezekiel’s obedience in
prophesying, they were. We, as Christians, see this as a foreshadowing of
Christ’s Resurrection from the dead. The Pharisaic teaching, that Martha and
Mary knew, was that all the righteous would be raised on “the last day.”
Martha and Mary must
have felt scattered and lost at the death of their beloved brother; so painful
a loss that Jesus also wept. Who among us cannot understand that while
shedding an ocean of tears in the midst of immediate grief, there can be a
sense of emptiness that feels as vast, as dry, and as deep as the sands of
the Sinai? They
wondered why Jesus, who could have saved Lazarus, didn’t come sooner. The
teaching of the time was that a soul lingered nearby for 3 days after death.
Mary was clear to Jesus that Lazarus was now dead 4 days. All was truly lost,
until…
We don’t expect or believe
that Jesus will call our loved ones out of the grave and restore them to full
life and health, certainly not in this life. We hope for it, perhaps dream
about it. But the reality of the earthly loss arrives very quickly and never
leaves. Yet Paul reminds us that setting our minds on the flesh of this
life is death to eternal life. We are to set our minds on the Spirit which is
life and peace. No, it definitely isn't easy, especially in the times
of life when we feel blown about as in a sandstorm; frightened of the next few
days or weeks or months as in the time of the recent pandemic. Some of us are
covered over and some of us laid bare. But no matter the age or wellness of our
bones, hope is always the best antidote to despair and the best place to find
hope is in a community of faith.
A community exists even
when we are at a distance from each other as do family members who live in different
states or countries. Some of our Church family simply fell out of the habit of being in Church during the days of the pandemic. Some are physically unable and reaching out regularly is heart-giving for the one who gives and the one who receives. For those with whom we have simply lost regular contact sending an email, a note, or a phone call may be all that's needed to say I'm thinking of you and you are missed but you are still part of "us." Even if the outcome doesn't change, the effort is still worth the time in the family of Christ.
We all believe and hope in
different ways for different outcomes in life’s events, but as a community we
must gather our bones, and come alive together
in whatever ways, old and new, we can discover. The psalmist says in his word is
my hope. The Word of the Gospel can re-animate our hope as we seek the
Spirit of Christ within us. We are not alone, even at a distance from each
other whether across deserts, oceans, or one street, as long as we choose hope
and reach out to each other in love. In Christ we are unbound from fear of the unknowns yet to come, the Light fills
and surrounds us, distance fades as we gather together in faith.
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ Most Merciful GOD, unbind us from the desires and fears
that dry our souls, our hearts, and our bones. Set our minds on the Spirit of
life and peace, that we may seek, believe, and follow Christ Jesus, who is the
Resurrection and the Life.
O Lord, our
GOD
RESPONSE:
Rest
Your hand upon us
~ Most Merciful GOD, endow those who govern with the
capacity, foresight, and willingness to act decisively for the benefit of all
Your people throughout this Community, this Nation, and this Planet. We
pray especially for: add your own petitions
O Lord, our
GOD
Rest
Your hand upon us
~ Most Merciful GOD, bestow Your healing touch upon all in
ill-health, emotional turmoil, or despair; and for those who give them care,
rest for today and hope for tomorrow. We now join our hearts to pray for
those in need… add your own petitions
O Lord, our
GOD
Rest
Your hand upon us
~ Most Merciful GOD, let our tears be dried and our grief
released, for as Jesus called Lazarus from his tomb, You call our loved
ones to the joy of new and eternal life. We pray especially for… add
your own petitions
O Lord, our
GOD
Rest
Your hand upon us
~ Most Merciful GOD, we pause in this
moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions,
petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions
O Lord, our
GOD
Rest
Your hand upon us
~ Most Merciful GOD, hearten the spirits of those sent to us to
lead Your Church as they prophesy Your Word, and bring us together into the
Light of Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
O Lord, our
GOD
Rest
Your hand upon us
The Celebrant adds: Lord
God of us All, breathe into our mortal bones and awaken us from the death
of sin, as our waiting souls turn toward the radiance of Your mercy,
forgiveness, and everlasting life. We ask through Jesus, our Redeemer Christ;
and the Holy Spirit, our Compass and our Guide; who together with You are One
God, now and forever. Amen.
