April 6 New Life - Down to the Bone

April 6 New Life – Down to the Bone *Ezekiel 37.1-14 Pastor Jacqueline Hines

Ezekiel was a prophet. His job was to speak the truth to people whose hearts were not right with God. When we look around this world it is clear to see that not everyone cares about being right with God as long as they are right with themselves. We can only hope to avoid being their victims. We can only hope that Lent will help US stay right with God.

In verse 1, Ezekiel testifies that the hand of the Lord came upon him and he was driven into a valley of dry bones. Some versions translate Ezekiel  as saying not simply that the Lord’s hand was upon him but that the Lord GRABBED him, or TOOK HOLD of him, indicating an urgency and fervor in what was about to take place in this valley. Oh yes, have we not felt that God has burst into our lives and drove us straight to a valley where despair and despondency was the order of the day, where we put our head down or our hands up, without preaching, praying, practicing or singing for what seemed like a long, long time, where we pondered the question, “Can THESE bones live?” (slide # 1  Can These Bones Live)

National Geographic had an article showing the bones of elephants. (slide #2 Elephant with tusks).  It told about the underground, organized crime world of illegal poachers, and smugglers who cruelly kill elephants for their tusks. Tusks are teeth that grow out and curl up. They are, for animals, a multipurpose tool and a source of protection. There are other animals like these whales (slide # 3 Whales with tusks) that have tusks, but elephants have the nicest tusks to work with for jewelers, architects, and designers. Thanks to the United Nations, we no longer use animal tusks to make piano keys, pool balls, buttons, or jewelry because removing an animal’s teeth for pleasure is universally considered cruel.  We can picture a valley with thousands of dry elephant bones parched by the noon-day sun. We can picture tusks selling for $1000 per pound by those who could not care less about man nor beast. A valley of dry bones is a reminder of how care - less we can be.

Ezekiel’s valley of dry bones may have been one with horses and humans long forgotten and left behind in a battlefield, somewhere, anywhere. It doesn’t matter; we all know - because we have all been in the valley. We’ve all been in that place where God gets a hold of us, and asks, “Can these bones live?” Is there life after death? Will this nightmare ever be replaced by peace and joy SOME day? After a rough winter, we often thought aloud, “Will spring ever get here?”

Ezekiel’s answer should be the answer that we all give. His was a wise answer in verse 3. He says, “O Lord God, you know.” It is the same answer for all those impossible situations in our lives, for all those times when we are between a rock and a hard place. The answer is God knows!

When we understand that God knows, we hear the command in verse 4 to speak to the places that cause us the most grief and heartache, the situations that are most desperate and painful for us, the ones that leave us feeling threatened and helpless. It is to those situations Ezekiel was instructed to say, “O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.“ That’s what God told him to say.

So WE say, to the dream that seems too impossible to come true – hear the word of the Lord;  to prayers yet unanswered  - hear the word of the Lord; to mental anguish of soldiers and victims of bullying and poverty – hear the word of the Lord; to unemployment – hear the word of the Lord; to unsettling  and unsatisfying relationships – hear the word of the Lord; to the friend or relative who have strayed far, far away from God – hear the word of the Lord. Sickness and distress, shortages and lack – HEAR the word of the Lord!!

After Ezekiel spoke to the terrible valley, commanding lifeless hopes to hear the word of the Lord, God SPOKE. In verse 5, God says, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. Where we are morally dead, God will bring life. ( slide #4  - God blowing into the world) Where our prayer life is on life support, God will bring life. Where our purpose in life has been buried, God will bring life. (slide # 5 Swimmer taking a breath)  God will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live.

Not everyone wants to get right with God and live. There are days, I would rather die than give up chocolate ice cream. There are days we would rather die than face an uncertain future. There are days we could rather die than take up the c ross of pain and anguish that is before us.

Nevertheless, the word of the Lord is for each of us today. Ready or not, the breath of God will enter every troubled valley you have, every impossible situation, every place that you have given up on.  God is breathing life into it. God has something to say about it – with a shout of celebration or warning, with a sigh of relief or frustration. God speaks, giving life where there is little or none.

The word for breath is used three ways in the bible. Breath, wind, and Spirit all have the same meaning and characteristics. We may feel God as a strong wind or a gentle breeze. (slide # 6  wheat blowing in the wind)  We may feel the Spirit as a hand on our shoulder or a tug on our forearm to move us forward …or backward. We may notice the Spirit as an intoxicating influence that calms us, rejuvenates or invigorate us, ( slide # 7 man blowing a trumpet ). We may experience a surge of sustaining energy like you can get from Redbull.  The other day a young man from Sprint did me a great favor of helping me transfer my data on my cell phone even though I no longer have Sprint service. When he finished, I said can I buy you a cup of coffee or whatever it is that you 20 year olds drink. He said – Redbull. When you are up all night texting and talking on the phone, I guess you do need some Redbull to make it through the day.

We may feel God’s Spirit in many ways. A few weeks ago, I was contemplating my pledge to the capital campaign. I was praying about various figures and I asked God to guide me not knowing how that guidance would happen. Day after day I waited for some assurance, wanting very much to get it done and check it off on my to do list before the Easter deadline. Suddenly, during worship, it occurred to me exactly what I should pledge. It was more than a passing thought. It was like a gentle breeze that would not go unnoticed, that demanded attention to the message it was carrying. I could not tell what direction it came from and I can’t tell you where the thought is going to lead me in the end. What IS clear is that God breathes life into all of us no matter where we are. God never forgets us and usually surprises us. 

Newborn babies breathe  30–60 breaths per minute. ( slide # 8 baby hand being held) With time our lungs develop and we take fewer breaths. Adults breathe 18-22 breaths per minute. Someone who is taking their last breaths after a long life may breathe 30-40 breaths, becoming like a baby, transitioning into a new life. Every breath counts.

When I was in the 6th grade, the teacher left the room and went out into the hall for a moment. A  student often seeking attention announced that he had something to share with the whole class. He stood in front of the room and proceeded to cut off his breath until he literally fainted. His knees buckled, his head hit the floor with a bang, and he began, with no effort on his own, to breathe.

Whether we are making our protest against life or acting recklessly, eventually the breath of God is a force with which we will contend. There is no way we can avoid getting away from the God who breathes into our hopeless places.

Even where there seems to be no life at all, there is still life. (slide # 9 parched land with a plant) Years ago, professional golfer Lee Trevino was struck by lightning while he was playing in a tournament. He said, "When I got killed by lightning, I realized the passage from life is a tremendous pleasure. "Trevino was sitting under a tree when lightning hit. "It bolted my arms and legs out stiff, jerked me off the ground," he recalls, "and killed me. I knew I was dead. There was no pain. Everything turned a warm, gentle orange color. I saw my mama who had been dead for years. I saw other people from my life. It was a newsreel like you read about -- my life passing before my eyes. But it was so pleasant, so wonderful; I felt great. I thought, boy, this dying is really fun. It's when I woke up in the hospital badly burned and in pain that I knew I had come back to life again for some reason."  (slide # 10 child looking with expectation) (sermons.com)

God has a purpose and a plan for breathing life into us. (slide #11 – woman on a hill with a breeze blowing)  It is not always our plan. It is not always an easy plan. We believe it is the best plan for the good of all.

Every day the Social Security Administration is apt to make computer errors by declaring about 40 people dead that are very much alive. Is there a record somewhere that claims a part of your life is without life and hope?  That all good has ceased to exist, discontinued? Jesus came that we might have life and have it abundantly.  When he breathed his last on the cross, (slide #12 lit cross on hill) it was the beginning of a new life for us. We may be surprised at what kind of life we will have with each breath God breathes into us , but we will never be forgotten, and ready or not, new life is coming. Let everything that has breath just praise the Lord. (slide #13 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. ) And we will go to higher heights and deeper depths of God’s mercy, truth and love. (slide # 14 – balloons in air. ) Amen.