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March 9, 2008 - 5th Sunday in Lent
The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the LORD and
set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them;
there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, "Mortal,
can these bones live?" I answered, "O Lord GOD, you know." Then he said to me, "Prophesy
to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the Lord
GOD to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live.
-- Ezekiel 37:1-5
Ezekiel was a prophet during a difficult time in the history of God's people.
Death was all around them, especially the death of hopes and dreams. When asked by the
Lord if the dry bones before him could live Ezekiel did not respond with sure answers,
but directed the question back to God with "O Lord God, you know".
God is always about new life. From the beginning of God's creation of the world through
the new life of Jesus' resurrection and now the new life that comes to us every day
through the Holy Spirit - God is always at work to bring new life to the dry bones we
experience in life.
This weekend when we gather for worship we will hear of extraordinary new life that
came to a dead man, to his grieving family members, and to us. Until then, where do you
experience a need for new life? Offer a prayer for the Spirit to breathe such life into
those places of death and dry bones.
We pray: Almighty God, your Son came into the world to free us all from sin
and death. Breathe upon us the power of your Spirit, that we may be raised to new life in
Christ and serve you in righteousness all our days, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen
Lessons for the 5th Sunday in Lent:
- Psalm 130
- Ezekiel 37:1-14
- Romans 8:6-11
- John 11:1-45
Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible,
copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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