Church Family, thank you so much for being with us this Sunday. We are so blessed with your presence! Today is the 5th Sunday in the season of Lent and together we continue asking questions and seeking God in the stories of scripture. This week is a wonderful look at 2 thought-provoking passages in John 11 and Ezekiel 37--please read them on your own as well! Ask questions and explore these wonderful stories that have fed people for thousands of years. Today, we are setting time aside to pray, sing, think, and worship. God is HERE, let’s worship together!
Song: “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” [Music & Lyrics by U2 - Paul David Hewson / Adam Clayton / Larry Mullen / Dave Evans] - The Linds
Welcome to Mantua Center Christian Church
-- a community seeking to have open minds, open hearts, and open arms.
Whether online or in the house this morning, we want to welcome you to the sacred Season of Lent as we walk with Jesus to Holy Week.
INVITATION FOR MISSION UPDATES:
Ministry Leaders and congregants are welcome to come forward to the mic, to give a mission update or share ways for people to get involved in missions and ministries.
Scripture - John 11:17-26
17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, 19and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. 20When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. 21Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.’ 23Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ 24Martha said to him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’ 25Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’
*Response - Weave #495
Weave, weave, weave us together, Weave us together, in unity and love.
Weave, weave, weave us together, weave us together, together in love.
*Call to Worship - Sally Hoffman
One: The prophet asks, “Can our soul-weary bones live again?”
All: O God, you know!
One: We ask, “Can we dance again after mourning, loss and grief?”
All: O God, you know!
One: The gift is sure and unmistakable:
All: God’s breath poured out as new life for weary souls!
One: Let us celebrate the gift of God’s new life,
All: And come to worship God in laughter and dancing!
*Opening Hymn - Be Thou My Vision #595, v.1-2
1 Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
naught be all else to me, save that thou art
thou my best thought, by day or by night,
waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.
2 Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word;
I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord;
thou my redeemer, my love thou hast won,
thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.
Invitation to Generosity
Invitation - Sally Hoffman
Offertory - “Thank You for Hearing Me” [Words & Music by John Reynolds / Sinead O Connor] - Ryan & Karly Lind
Thank you for Hearing Me…4x
Loving…
Seeking…
Saving…
Healing…
Response - “Pass It On” #477, v. 1
It only takes a spark to get a fire going
and soon all those around can warm up in its glowing.
That's how it is with God's love
once you've experienced it,
you spread God’s love to everyone,
you want to pass it on.
Offering Prayer - Sally Hoffman
Children’s Moment - Rev. Chad Delaney
4th for the 4C’s Collection
Pastoral Prayer & Lord’s Prayer - Rev. Chad Delaney
Friends, there is nothing that we have to keep hidden from God—not our anger, our grief, or the
ways in which we have fallen short. In confession, we speak honestly and are met with grace. So let us not hold back. Let us bring our full selves to this prayer, knowing that God is already running to meet us. Let us pray:
God, as we seek you this Lent we long to know you more. We are filled with curiosity and questions and eagerness to understand what stirs inside of us and the world. To see more clearly who you are and what you are up to.
We thank you for the example of Jesus. We sometimes forget that he wept with those who were grieving. He lost loved ones and friends. He gathered outside of a tomb with those he loved. He felt the blessing and sting of humanity. He was truly YOU with us.
So forgive us for all the times we lose our humanity. Forgive us for all the times we create distance with you, imagining that you don’t understand and aren’t with us. Forgive us for our spiritual dryness in a sea of your presence. Pour yourself into the cracks of our hearts. Bring these bones back to life. Bring us closer to you. We offer you are own prayers of confession…
God, we know even in our shortcomings, we are your beloved. Thank you for your grace. Remind us we belong to you and we are not alone. Today we lay our burdens down at your feet. We lift up the lonely and the lost. The tired and the sick. Those struggling with their mental health or feeling left out. Capture all with your love and grace and hear us as we pray the prayer Jesus taught us saying….
Special Music - “Hard to Get” [Words and Music by Rich Mullens] - Ryan Lind
Holy Communion
Meditation - Steve Hurd
Hymn - Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross #587, v. 1
1 Jesus, keep me near the cross: there a precious fountain,
free to all, a healing stream, flows from Calvary's mountain.
[Refrain:]
In the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever,
till my raptured soul shall find rest beyond the river.
Prayer - Steve Hurd
Words of Institution - Rev. Chad Delaney
Music - “Come as You Are” [Song by David Crowder] - Ryan & Karly Lind
Scripture - Ezekiel 37:1-14
Prayer of Illumination:
Creator God,
Why is bad news so loud? In the midst of gun violence, hunger, melting ice caps, and anxiety, it often feels like suffering has a microphone.
How do we hear you? How do we find you?
How do we know that these bones can live?
Today we bring our raw selves into this space asking that once more you would
rush through this room like a mighty wind.
Remind us that these bones can live. Speak to us in your still, small voice
and let it be loud enough to speak to the sorrow of the day.
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. 2He led me all round them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. 3He said to me, ‘Mortal, can these bones live?’ I answered, ‘O Lord God, you know.’ 4Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6I 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.’
7 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. 8I 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. 9Then 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.’ 10I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.
11 Then he said to me, ‘Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, “Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.” 12Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. 14I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act, says the Lord.’
***Take a few minutes and write down any QUESTIONS you might have for the scripture. Have deacons help collect them.
Sermon - “Can these bones live?” - Rev. Chad Delaney
When greeting the dry bones in our passage in Ezekiel today we know there is more to this story. There is history, The dry bones are a metaphor for the people of Israel who in Ezekiel’s time had been dragged off into captivity. The Babylonian invaders had razed Jerusalem and their temple to the ground and many taken to Babylon to slavery. God’s people have been destroyed physically, emotionally, and spiritually. How did all this happen? How did it get to this point?
Doing a little digging, we get some hints about this whole situation as we read Ezekiel.
- First we see that this was in no way what God wanted. God has told the people what was required of them, but they go their own way. God says to them in Ch.18:
- 31Cast away your transgressions and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? 32For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, says the Lord God. Turn, then, and live.”
- The main thing is they have followed other gods and especially a problem that their leaders and people have not taken care of the most vulnerable. In Ezekiel 34 it says, “Ah, you shepherds of Israel who have only been feeding yourselves!...4You have not strengthened the weak, you have not healed the sick, you have not bound up the injured, you have not brought back the strayed, you have not sought the lost…”
God has not brought this destruction upon them, they have brought it upon themselves. It is a harsh, yet truthful word that the people need to hear. So….what now?
Now this is a sensitive moment in the history of God’s people.
Think about it, when we as human beings find ourselves in a situation of hardship there are a variety of paths to take.
- There can be lots and lots of dwelling on what has happened.
- There can be a great search for who or what to squarely blame this on. I will discover who’s at fault for this and go after them.
- There can also be absolute hopelessness and despair.
- All of these are understandable especially depending on the context.
- And then there’s God’s alternative…“Turn, then, and live.”
Have you ever felt like you were like a valley of dry bones? Just bereft of life and not sure where to turn?
So Ezekiel is swept away to the valley of dry bones, the people of Israel symbolically represented completely decimated and bereft of their living flesh and living breath. Of course, they can learn from the past and what has gotten them there. But dwelling, blaming, and giving up won’t serve them now. So what is it going to be? What is even possible when we are in a state like this?
So this is where the powerful question arises, “Can these bones live?”. Now…we might have expected that question to come from Ezekiel. But POWERFULLY it is NOT Ezekiel’s question to God, it is God’s question to Ezekiel. “Mortal, can these bones live?” Do YOU believe it is possible? Do you believe that God can revive them? Or not?
Most of us can point out what is wrong in our society today. What is wrong with kids these days. What is wrong with our government and politicians. What is wrong in the church. What is wrong with ourselves even. There is lots of struggle and heartache. Lots of corruption and deception. Lots of disappointment and pain. Lots of DRY BONES out there. But God wants to know from the people of God, “Can these bones live?”
As Rev. Danielle Shroyer says, “What God wants to know is: ‘Can you see past the rubbish, the damage, the crisis, the violence, the signs of decay…and can you imagine that life still lingers there? Do you dare to believe--and even trust--that the power of life does not ever go underground in such a way that God cannot revive it in glory?’”
Family of God, do we really believe in our hearts and spirit it is possible that this landscape of dust and sand and bones could change and transform? That the Spirit of God still hovers over the deep ready to create and revive?
What have given up on? What is dead in our eyes? A relationship? A calling? A possibility? What dream has been abandoned and left in the dust? Do we really believe that the dry bones can live?
God says to the people…13And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. 14I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live.” The God we know in the scriptures and in the life of Jesus Christ is not intimidated by dry bones, or tombs, or even death itself….and neither shall we! May it be so. Amen.
*Closing Hymn - “Spirit Song ” #352, v. 1-2
1 O let the Son of God enfold you with his Spirit and his love.
Let him fill your heart and satisfy your soul.
O let him have the things that hold you, and his Spirit like a dove
will descend upon your life and make you whole.
Refrain:
Jesus, O Jesus, come and fill your lambs.
Jesus, O Jesus, come and fill your lambs.
2 O come and sing this son with gladness as your hearts are filled with joy.
Lift your hands in sweet surrender to his name.
O give him all your tears and sadness, give him all your years of pain,
And you’ll enter into life in Jesus’ name. (Refrain)
Benediction - Rev. Chad Delaney
As you leave this place,
may God bless you with seeking.
Seek out the hungry.
Seek the weary.
Seek the good in every person you pass.
Seek out the hopeful.
Seek the faithful.
Seek God in each of us.
As you seek and as you wonder,
may you find what you are looking for.
In the name of our loving God,
who is always seeking us,
go now in peace. Amen.
Postlude - Sarah Park