Lent

March 20, 2023

Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 37:1-14

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 round 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. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.’

So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.’ I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. –Ezekiel 37:1-10

We are surrounded by death. Within the span of the COVID outbreak, 6,819,378 worldwide have died from COVID, 1,151,279 of them from the United States. More are added every day. Over 50,000 bodies have been found in the Turkey/Syria earthquake, and there may be more to find. Just over 9,000 civilians were killed in the first year of the Ukraine War, not counting the lost soldiers. Mass shootings are reported routinely now in the USA.

This plague of deaths that surrounds us has taken a toll on our mental health, just as the valley of dry bones Ezekiel describes in his vision was taking a toll on Israel. These dry bones are a vivid measure of our challenges as we strive to serve God more nearly. Ezekiel’s goal was to remind the Hebrews and us today that God is still God and is still working God’s purpose out, and we remain the workforce to implement our role in God’s plan.

God is working this purpose out
as year succeeds to year;
God is working this purpose out,
and the time is drawing near;
nearer and nearer draws the time,
the time that shall surely be:
when the earth shall be filled with the glory of God
as the waters cover the sea*.  

Prayer: God, please help us see how we fit in working your purpose out and guide us in carrying out our calling.   Amen.

*The first verse of the hymn God is Working His Purpose Out  by Arthur Campbell Ainger see at https://hymnary.org/text/god_is_working_his_purpose_out#Author

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.