dry bones and new life

Good evening friends,

Thanks so much for all the prayers of support for our family; it really means a lot to us. Today's reading is a favorite of mine because it's a powerful image of God's ability to bring new life into situations that seem hopeless. It's also a reminder that the power for renewal lies outside us. God fills us with the wind of the Spirit. At the same time that new life requires a choice from us to live with hope. That's why the prophesy to the people matters: they have to embrace the new life God offers if they are truly going to live. We can always choose new life or barren dryness.

God bless,
Sam

Ezekiel 37:1-10

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 around 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.” ⁷So 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. 

fresh water hope

Good afternoon friends,

Today's vision from Ezekiel continues the vision we saw yesterday of a powerful water flowing from the throne of God. Today we see that river renewing and refreshing the whole region and bringing forth new life. In God's renewed creation there is abundant life for all.

God bless,
Sam

Ezekiel 47:6-12

⁶He said to me, “Mortal, have you seen this?” Then he led me back along the bank of the river. ⁷As I came back, I saw on the bank of the river a great many trees on the one side and on the other. ⁸He said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah; and when it enters the sea, the sea of stagnant waters, the water will become fresh. ⁹Wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish, once these waters reach there. It will become fresh; and everything will live where the river goes. 

¹⁰People will stand fishing beside the sea from En-gedi to En-eglaim; it will be a place for the spreading of nets; its fish will be of a great many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea. ¹¹But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to be left for salt. ¹²On the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.”

waters of life

Good morning brothers and sisters,

Today's reading shows us the renewal of Jerusalem and the world through the eyes of Ezekiel. Many of the images in Revelation seem to take their cue from Ezekiel. He envisions the world's renewal, here shown as the streams of the water of life, coming from the temple of God. In Revelation, there is no temple because God's presence will be so obvious such things won't be necessary. 

God bless,
Sam

Ezekiel 47:1-5

Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple; there, water was flowing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east); and the water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar. ²Then he brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gate that faces toward the east; and the water was coming out on the south side. 

³Going on eastward with a cord in his hand, the man measured one thousand cubits, and then led me through the water; and it was ankle-deep. ⁴Again he measured one thousand, and led me through the water; and it was knee-deep. Again he measured one thousand, and led me through the water; and it was up to the waist. ⁵Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross, for the water had risen; it was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be crossed.

the way of the wicked

Good morning friends,

Monday we read the beginning of Psalm 73, where the author talks about how it often seems like the wicked do better in life than the righteous. As we continue we'll see that line of thought continue. We'll also see how the psalmist started to see things in a different way.

God bless,

Sam

Psalm 73:10-28

¹⁰Therefore the people turn and praise them, and find no fault in them.¹¹And they say, “How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?”¹²Such are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches.

¹³All in vain I have kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence.¹⁴For all day long I have been plagued, and am punished every morning.

¹⁵If I had said, “I will talk on in this way,” I would have been untrue to the circle of your children. ¹⁶But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, ¹⁷until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I perceived their end. ¹⁸Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin. ¹⁹How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors! ²⁰They are like a dream when one awakes; on awaking you despise their phantoms.

²¹When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, ²²I was stupid and ignorant; I was like a brute beast toward you. ²³Nevertheless I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. ²⁴You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me with honor. ²⁵Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire other than you. ²⁶My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. ²⁷Indeed, those who are far from you will perish; you put an end to those who are false to you. ²⁸But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, to tell of all your works.

renewal

Good afternoon sisters and brothers,
We've been reading about how Hannah and Elkanah gave their son Samuel to God at the temple of Shiloh. Today we hear about the state of worship at the sanctuary. While Eli was a faithful priest, his sons were not. As the story continues from there we'll see that Samuel is God's instrument for renewal and reform in Israel's faith.

God bless,
Sam

1 Samuel 2:11-21
¹¹Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, while the boy remained to minister to the Lord, in the presence of the priest Eli. ¹²Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels; they had no regard for the Lord ¹³or for the duties of the priests to the people. When anyone offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come, while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand, ¹⁴and he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they did at Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there.

¹⁵Moreover, before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the one who was sacrificing, “Give meat for the priest to roast; for he will not accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.” ¹⁶And if the man said to him, “Let them burn the fat first, and then take whatever you wish,” he would say, “No, you must give it now; if not, I will take it by force.” ¹⁷Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the Lord; for they treated the offerings of the Lord with contempt.

¹⁸Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy wearing a linen ephod. ¹⁹His mother used to make for him a little robe and take it to him each year, when she went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. ²⁰Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, “May the Lord repay you with children by this woman for the gift that she made to the Lord”; and then they would return to their home. ²¹And the Lord took note of Hannah; she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.

part II

Good morning brothers and sisters,
This morning I'm going to Irondequoit Presbyterian Church to learn about a small group program called Alpha that introduces some of the main ideas of the Christian faith for discussion. I think it might be a good fit for Laurelton, so I'm going to learn more. If anyone else would like to join me, the program starts at 9:30 this morning and includes breakfast.


After Jesus rose from the dead he spent some time with his disciples, getting them ready for what would happen next. Then he rose into heaven. Those events form the end of the Gospels and the beginning of Acts, which is the story of God working through the church. Acts is a wonderful book to read when you are in a time of church renewal, like we are at Laurelton. As we pursue a new beginning, it's good to go back to the churches beginning. Acts is part two of Luke's Gospel, which you see in the introduction here. The writer begins by addressing Theophilus (which means lover of God) and relating the story he is about to tell to the one his reader has just finished reading. Notice Jesus instruction to the disciples: wait in Jerusalem for God's power. That's how the church begins, by waiting in prayer.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 1:1-11

In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning ²until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. ³After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over the course of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. ⁴While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. ‘This’, he said, ‘is what you have heard from me; ⁵for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ ⁷He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ ⁹When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. ¹⁰While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. ¹¹They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’

questions about the end

Good morning brothers and sisters,
In our reading from Matthew Jesus again emphasizes that he will return suddenly and dramatically. He also tells the disciples that even he doesn't know when the end will come; only God the Father knows that. Our reading from Thessalonians emphasizes that we don't need to worry about those who die before we die or before Christ returns. Regardless of whether we are alive or dead when Jesus comes back, we will be raised up to be with him forever. We can trust God's love for us, no matter what.

blessings this Lord's day,
Sam

Matthew 24:32-42

³²“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. ³³So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. ³⁴Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. ³⁵Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

³⁶“But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³⁷For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, ³⁹and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. ⁴¹Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. ⁴²Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.

*Sunday

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

¹³But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. ¹⁴For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. ¹⁵For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died.

¹⁶For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸Therefore encourage one another with these words.

new heavens and a new earth

Good morning brothers and sisters,
The book of Isaiah is actually thought to be several books, but the common theme is God's word to Jerusalem. The Prophet Isaiah himself had his ministry in the 8th century BCE, a time when Jerusalem and the kingdom was doing pretty well in some ways and teetering on the edge of destruction in others. The main idea Isaiah was sent to bring was that Judah's injustice would bring disaster and defeat. This part of the book is roughly Chapters 1-40. Second Isaiah is the second part of the book (Roughly Chapters 40-55) and speaks into the time of Judah's exile in Babylon. Since the people have seen God's judgment first hand, these words are mostly words of comfort and hope for a future in the land as God's people again. Third Isaiah, from chapters 56-66, deals with the people after they have returned to their land and have not found complete renewal. These words are words of challenge and hope that God will complete the work of salvation begun in the Exodus and continued in the liberation from Babylon.

Second and Third Isaiah are often read during Advent because of the promise of God's kingdom and renewal. Our passage from today is one of Third Isaiah's visions of the completion of God's kingdom. We see harmony, abundance, peace and joy as a result of God's closeness. This future sustains us in hard times as we seek God's justice and love in a troubled world today.

God bless and enjoy the beautiful day,
Sam


Isaiah 65:17-25

17For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. 18But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight. 19I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people; no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it, or the cry of distress. 20No more shall there be in it an infant that lives but a few days, or an old person who does not live out a lifetime; for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth, and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed.

21They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 22They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

23They shall not labor in vain, or bear children for calamity; for they shall be offspring blessed by the LORD-and their descendants as well. 24Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear. 25The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox; but the serpent-its food shall be dust! They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the LORD.

the law on our hearts

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Jeremiah gives us a vision of Israel's renewal in beautiful terms. The renewal here is so complete that it is more accurate as a vision for the completion of history; God's final appearance. In those days God's ways will be so clearly written on our hearts that we will simply know what to do and how to live; we won't need to be taught the right ways anymore. Notice that forgiveness is what opens the way to know God: when we know deep down that God forgives us, we want to live the right way in response to that amazing love.

One interesting phrase I want to lift up is this sour grapes phrase. It's a strange little saying, "The parents have eaten sour grapes, and their children's teeth are set on edge." The interesting thing is that this phrase comes up more than once in different prophets' writing. Almost every time it's used this same way: people won't use the saying anymore because in the future God will not carry punishment forward anymore. Instead each person will only be responsible for their own sin. The great thing for us is that in Jesus we truly know we are forgiven, both our sin and the sin we've been a part of. That knowledge frees us to live in love for others.

God bless,
Sam


Jeremiah 31:27-34

27The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of humans and the seed of animals. 28And just as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring evil, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, says the Lord. 29In those days they shall no longer say: “The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.” 30But all shall die for their own sins; the teeth of everyone who eats sour grapes shall be set on edge.

31The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 32It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. 33But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.