Ezekiel 37 (2026)<\/p>\n
Jesus said, \u201cCome to me all you who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.\u201d Trust that peace and forgiveness are God\u2019s gift to you this day, whatever burden you carry. Be renewed by the breath of the Holy Spirit that will bring you into each new day.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I have with me some pasta this morning<\/p>\n
It\u2019s quite a common food<\/p>\n
Most people have it in their kitchens<\/p>\n
One of the pasta shapes, macaroni, is probably the most common pasta found in kitchens that are feeding children<\/p>\n
Summer camps rely on Macaroni and cheese to feed dozens, even hundreds of hungry campers<\/p>\n
Mums rely on Mac and cheese to present a meal that makes kids full and happy<\/p>\n
Pasta in its many forms is one of those foods that most people like<\/p>\n
It makes you feel comfortable and well fed<\/p>\n
In order for this dry, tasteless pasta to become something good<\/p>\n
A lot of changes need to take place<\/p>\n
First it needs to be cooked<\/p>\n
It is plunged into boiling water and simmered for about 10 minutes<\/p>\n
Then we have lovely soft pasta waiting for the sauce or cheese to round it out<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
If you had no experience of cooking dried pasta you could look at it and discount it as a food source for people<\/p>\n
You could dismiss it as hard, dry and unpleasant, something to make a hungry person feel hopeless<\/p>\n
Similarly when you encounter disappointment or hardship in your life you may be unable to see beyond the trial<\/p>\n
You may even begin to feel that nothing good is going to be able to happen<\/p>\n
It can seem that everything is like the valley of dry bones that Ezekiel saw in his vision<\/p>\n
But just as we know that this pasta can become very good \u2013 so the hard things in our life can become a lot better.<\/p>\n
As God brought life to the valley of dry bones with the breath of his Holy Spirit \u2013 so God can give us life and hope in spite of make the worst things in our lives too.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Our reading in the book of Ezekiel tells of the prophet encountering a valley of dry bones<\/p>\n
Now Ezekiel was an Israelite priest who lived in exile in Babylon<\/p>\n
The Israelite people longed to return home.<\/p>\n
Not that life in Babylon had been dreadful.<\/p>\n
The Israelite exiles lived well.<\/p>\n
They had homes and followed their professions<\/p>\n
I used to think that life for those who were taken into captivity would be like living as a refugee who never rose out of poverty<\/p>\n
I had assumed that those who were taken into captivity were to spend their entire lives as slaves and\/or labourers<\/p>\n
This was not always the case<\/p>\n
Some captors in the ancient world would go out to conquer another nation, and they would transport the wealthiest and most talented people to the conquerors\u2019 homeland<\/p>\n
This did two things<\/p>\n
Firstly, it removed the people with leadership skills from the conquered population, so there was less likelihood of rebellion<\/p>\n
And secondly, the people of talent and ability were brought to the land of the conquerors to help with the local economy<\/p>\n
Those who were seen to be people who would add to culture and community were transported to the captor\u2019s homeland<\/p>\n
This is how it was with the Israelites in Babylon<\/p>\n
The Israelites in exile had become at home with the Babylonian culture; though they still longed to return to Israel.<\/p>\n
Now Ezekiel was not only an exile, but he was a prophet in exile<\/p>\n
The word of the Lord had come to him saying that the return to the land of Israel would not happen in Ezekiel\u2019s lifetime<\/p>\n
After receiving this word from the God, Ezekiel brought this word to the people of God, as a prophet should<\/p>\n
The people did not want to hear this message, in spite of it being what God had said,<\/p>\n
Ezekiel was not telling people what they wanted to hear, and so the Israelites living in Babylon were unkind to Ezekiel when he shared an unpopular prophecy<\/p>\n
Ezekiel was ridiculed and scorned because his words seemed to lack national pride.<\/p>\n
Some even suggested that Ezekiel was intentionally holding back a return to Israel when he said that the return to Israel would take time<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Then one day Ezekiel had a vision of a valley of dry bones<\/p>\n
He was told to prophecy to those bones<\/p>\n
What a strange direction!<\/p>\n
Prophecy to these dead, dry bones?<\/p>\n
One who prophecies brings the word of the Lord to another<\/p>\n
Sometimes the prophet foretells<\/p>\n
But more often the prophet forth tells<\/p>\n
A word of prophecy is not so much a prediction as a reminder of what God wants<\/p>\n
Regardless of whether the message concerned the future or the present, why would God ask Ezekiel to prophecy to dry bones?<\/p>\n
Dry, dead lifeless bones?<\/p>\n
The bones were so old and dry that there was no hope<\/p>\n
Ezekiel saw the valley of dry bones there at his feet and God said<\/p>\n
\u201cProphecy to these bones\u201d<\/p>\n
And the bones came together<\/p>\n
And breath came into them<\/p>\n
From nothing came life<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
From this vision Ezekiel knew that one day the people of Israel would be gathered together again<\/p>\n
They would return to the promised land and not be left in exile<\/p>\n
There was hope in the face of hopelessness<\/p>\n
With the spirit of God, there could be life in the face of human hopelessness<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
We possibly don\u2019t think of the Spirit of God being revealed and cherished in the writings of the Hebrew prophets<\/p>\n
We can be inclined to think of the Spirit as a gift to the people of God after Jesus returned to heaven<\/p>\n
We remember the story in Acts of the manifestation of God\u2019s Spirit which was shown at Pentecost in Jerusalem<\/p>\n
As we read the epistles in the New Testament we are reminded that the Spirit has been shown in the gifts of wisdom and discernment<\/p>\n
In Ephesians 1:17 \u00a0keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better<\/p>\n
Yet the Spirit of God has always been a gift from God to God\u2019s people even before the ministry of Jesus<\/p>\n
And so we see the manifestation of the Spirit of God to Ezekeil so that he has a message of hope for the people<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The presence of the Spirit is manifest in many ways, one of them is in the gift of coming to know God better<\/p>\n
Knowing God better can help to keep us from despair<\/p>\n
It is easy to become so focused on the trouble that we forget to look up<\/p>\n
Or as the minister Richard Fairchild says, we limit God<\/p>\n
We may have no trouble saying that God is powerful, that God created, that God forgives sin and that God gives eternal life<\/p>\n
When it comes to trusting that there is more at work than the political snarls or ecological threats with which we live, sometimes our faith falters<\/p>\n
Fairchild is a UCC minister, and he confesses that he sometimes has doubts and worries<\/p>\n
And then he says, that sometimes (and he is thankful for this) that out of the blue he will get a reminder from another believer that God is limitless,<\/p>\n
Well actually he says he gets a bonk on the head from another saint,<\/p>\n
But he readily admits that there are times that he worries that he won\u2019t be able to afford the things that he wants and needs<\/p>\n
In his words:<\/p>\n
\u201cBy this I do not mean that I don’t give as much as I believe God<\/p>\n
wants me to give.\u00a0 What I mean is this – there are times when I<\/p>\n
get anxious and worried about how I am going to be able to afford<\/p>\n
to do this or that thing when I want to.<\/p>\n
Lots of people have these times.<\/p>\n
But I’m not happy with what happens when I have them.\u00a0 In fact,<\/p>\n
I’m miserable.\u00a0 I let myself get into funks – funks based nothing<\/p>\n
more than my perception that there is nothing more that I can do<\/p>\n
to help myself get the funds I need.\u00a0 I growl a bit.\u00a0 I am<\/p>\n
distracted.\u00a0 I’m a pain.<\/p>\n
Completely<\/em> out of this picture that I paint for myself is the<\/p>\n presence of God.<\/p>\n That is – until someone hits me over the head with the fact that<\/p>\n I have never really wanted before.\u00a0 And that when I have wanted –<\/p>\n well – God has provided.<\/p>\n I thank God for those reminders – because I get it – and for a<\/p>\n while I am much better.\u201d<\/p>\n He goes on to say how he can be filled with despair over what will happen to the UCC, and he questions some areas of policy<\/p>\n And then the truth comes to him that even if the practise of faith as he knows it ceases, that God\u2019s purposes can not be thwarted and will not be thwarted<\/p>\n Or as he puts it \u201ceven if this church is going nowhere history shows that God’s purposes are never defeated.\u201d<\/p>\n Fairchild also confesses to sometimes giving way to despair when people are critical of him<\/p>\n One of the perplexing things about ministry is that you need both a compassionate heart and a thick skin<\/p>\n They are very rarely packaged together in one person, and it can be easy to take things personally<\/p>\n In Fairchild\u2019s words he dreads the conflict that he imagines will arise<\/p>\n He says \u201cI start thinking that the world is coming<\/p>\n to an end – that I am going to be involved in conflict and<\/p>\n dispute and that it is going to drain the life out of me and of<\/p>\n others.\u00a0 I fret and worry and forget for a while that the real<\/p>\n question is not what other folk are thinking about me – but what<\/p>\n God is thinking about me.\u00a0 Am I following him?\u00a0 Am I being<\/p>\n faithful?\u00a0 And if I am\u00a0\u00a0 then what does it matter what others say<\/p>\n or do?<\/p>\n [Fairchild confesses]<\/p>\n I limit God,<\/p>\n I lock God up.<\/p>\n I stick him in the tomb.<\/p>\n I travel to the valley of dry bones where Ezekiel went<\/p>\n and see, as Ezekiel saw,<\/p>\n as all of Israel saw,<\/p>\n only dry old bones.\u201d<\/p>\n (Richard Fairchild. Unbind Him and Let Him Go. 5th<\/sup> Sunday in Lent Year A,\u00a0 spirit-net.ca)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I could relate to the way Fairchild described being overwhelmed<\/p>\n He doesn\u2019t stop there though<\/p>\n He also shared how when he gets caught up in woe, when it seems that life is like the valley of dry bones<\/p>\n That the Spirt gets his attention, reminding him that what he can see and experience is not all that is going on<\/p>\n Sometimes these reminders come from another believer<\/p>\n <\/p>\n We find ourselves in this place where we are determined that things are not going well<\/p>\n There is too much change<\/p>\n There is too much decline<\/p>\n We can\u2019t see a way out<\/p>\n The dry bones of despair, worry and anxiety are our daily companions<\/p>\n Like the word of God spoken through Ezekiel and like the truth shown by Jesus miraculous healing of Lazarus<\/p>\n The spirit will touch our lives and raise us above what we are able to touch, see and hear<\/p>\n We may not know what God is planning, but we do know that God\u2019s purposes are greater than our fear<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe all need to be clunked on the head sometimes,<\/p>\n Like how Jesus hits the people of Bethany over the head,<\/p>\n by showing them that not only could he heal the sick,<\/p>\n which they had no problem believing that he could do,<\/p>\n but that he could also raise the dead.\u201d<\/p>\n (Richard Fairchild. Unbind Him and Let Him Go. 5th<\/sup> Sunday in Lent Year A,\u00a0 spirit-net.ca)<\/p>\n The spirit of God gives life and hope<\/p>\n The spirit that came sweeping through on Pentecost<\/p>\n Can sweep through our lives<\/p>\n Blowing away what is not needed<\/p>\n Giving direction<\/p>\n Pointing us to God<\/p>\n When things are hard and unpalatable in our lives<\/p>\n Like uncooked pasta<\/p>\n Remember God gives us a spirit of discernment, that helps us see beyond what we are experiencing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Breath on me breathe of God<\/p>\n Fill me with life anew<\/p>\n That I may love what thou dost love<\/p>\n And do what thou wouldst do<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING AND INTERCESSION <\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n God of the loving heart,<\/p>\n thank you that in Christ, you call each of us by name and unite us in his body, the Church.<\/p>\n Give us love enough to make a difference in your world,<\/p>\n and trust enough to follow even when the way ahead us is a challenge.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n God of peace and promise,<\/p>\n in Christ you call us to love our enemies and to be peacemakers in the word you love.<\/p>\n We pray today for people and places divided by ancient bitterness and current hostility, (especially we remember \u2026 adding places in the recent news…)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n O God of the bruised and broken,<\/p>\n we are grateful that, in Christ, you have taken up the cross<\/p>\n and know by heart the things that bring us suffering and pain.<\/p>\n We pray today for all those in need of healing and comfort,<\/p>\n whatever the source of their pain….<\/p>\n (Keep silence for 10-15 seconds)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n O God of the lonely and sorrowing,<\/p>\n in Christ you faced the loss we know<\/p>\n when loved ones die or when friends let us down.<\/p>\n We remember before you those who grieve the loss of their beloved<\/p>\n and those who face a lonely future….<\/p>\n (Keep silence for 10-15 seconds)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n O God of hope and new possibility,<\/p>\n in Christ you opened the way into the future for us through the power of your redeeming love. Give us the courage we need to face our future,<\/p>\n assured of your presence and power to sustain us.<\/p>\n We offer all that we are and all that we hope for through Jesus Christ in whose name we pray. Amen<\/p>\n <\/p>\n COMMISSIONING AND BENEDICTION<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n As we move toward Holy Week and turn towards the Cross, remember the words of Jesus:<\/p>\n “I am the resurrection and the life.<\/p>\n Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live,<\/p>\n and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.<\/p>\n So may the tears of the Lord Jesus wash over your sorrows,<\/p>\n the Spirit of God dwell in your hearts,<\/p>\n and God\u2019s promise of new life lead you through each day ahead<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Ezekiel 37 (2026) Jesus said, \u201cCome to me all you who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.\u201d Trust that peace and forgiveness are God\u2019s gift to you this day, whatever burden you carry. Be renewed by the breath of the Holy Spirit that will bring you into each new day. … Continue reading “Written Sermon for March 22, 2026”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3209","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t