Ezekiel 37:1-14
Lent 5 - Year A
Easter Vigil - Years A, B, C
Pentecost - Year B
How often have we been heard to woefully complain that because we are not victorious in this or that that we are defeated, desiccated, destroyed -- hope is lost -- loneliness will be our lot, forever?
It is at such points that we, scattered, need the strength of prophetic proclamation.
The remedy is a strong one, nearly unbearable, to shift vision from the short-term to the long-term. We can withhold our desire to devour and go out of our way to assist others to stand. We can.
This means we will deal honorably within whatever economy surrounds us, tempting us to more. This means we will advocate persistently for those being screwed by whatever economic system has decided they can get survival rations, but no more.
This way of living is available regardless of the external political/economic realities we face.
There are still valleys of dry bones to wake us to poetic imagination and prophetic proclamation.
In light of current bankruptcy legislation we might change the valley to a valley of the bankrupt. Can they live again?
In an editorial by E. J. Dionne Jr. in the Washington Post , we hear this assessment: "There is a great misunderstanding that the key fight in our politics is between friends and foes of capitalism. In fact, the battle is among supporters of capitalism who disagree over what rules should govern the market. Should the rules favor the wealthy and the connected, or should they give some protection to those who fall into distress and would like nothing more than a chance to rejoin the ownership society?"
Regardless of the economy dealt with, the choices of devouring or assisting stand always before us
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2005/march2005.html
Ezekiel 37:1-14 or Acts 2:1-21
Sounds, unlike sights, are encompassing. To look at something we have one field of view at a time. To hear something is to perceive it wherever it is, before us or behind.
Sounds can be one clear note or a cacophony. Sounds can be progressive in melody or punked all at once. Sounds can help clear our mind or confuse us.
Here we have violent rattlings bringing so many differences together at the same time. Whether of bones or languages we hear the primordial sound of creation echoing in birth, rebirth, and new birth. Here we hear the formation of community.
Consider all the different sounds of your community. Imagine them all at once. What joy! What possibilities! What integration of diversity!
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2006/june2006.html
Ezekiel 37:1-14
Psalm 130
Romans 8:6-11
John 11:1-45
The church in Rome might also hear that to set the mind on death is to focus on flesh and to set the mind on life and peace is spirit work. These things are not one-way orientations. If we take death as an advisor for what to pay attention to in life, we might name death a spiritual advisor. Likewise, life and peace find their context in death, what transforms it, redeems it, resurrects it.
And so Ezekiel's bones cry out as much as the spirit of the Lord. Lazarus' flesh cries out as much as do Martha and Mary and Jesus. Out of the depths comes a cry for new life and that is tied in with forgiveness.
The Lord needs to deal with forgiveness issues with those lying in the valley of dust. Jesus, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus have forgiveness issues with one another. Forgiveness is still a key element in our lives and deaths that desires resolution beyond every opportunity for resolution. A key question: how we are doing with our forgiving and receiving of forgiveness?
- - -
O so slow we are
to establish a relationship
on and in and through
forgiveness
justice calls for it
and justice grinds slow
but it does surface
even from the dead
forgiveness drives
a hard bargain
as steadfast love's
altar ego
it will not give up
until satisfied
slow or fast
eventually
leaving us a choice
cooperation early
prolonged resistance
but no choice
bones will rise
flesh will be unwrapped
death becomes spirit
peace becomes flesh
fear not O crier
from deep places
there is forgiveness
wait - hope - redeem
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2007_03_01_archive.html
Ezekiel 37:1-14 or Acts 2:1-21
Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
Romans 8:22-27 or Acts 2:1-21
John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15
There are many things yet to be learned but they are beyond our current bearing of them. Until we can come to grips with this basic understanding of more to be learned - bones remain dry, labor pains continue, and we remain trapped in our current-sized room repeating ourselves in a single language to one another.
A needed breath of new creation, a new spirit, is needed as catalyst to transform what we don't know into an important category of life and renewal for us. Without this we are dusty dust, groaning groaners, sorrowing sorrowers.
Continuing the oneness image of I in you and you in them, the new comes to the old, unbidden. Consider this as a definition of Glory as well as an expression of Grace.
- - -
step out in faith with fear and trembling
a new vision comes beyond what we know
cast a new vision beyond what is yet known
fear and trembling become solid enough to stand on
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2007_05_01_archive.html
Are there any dry bones around today? Those without health care? (Nearly 47 million Americans, or 16 percent of the population, were without health insurance in 2005, the latest government data available) - A record 1.6 million Americans in prison? (1% total and much higher percentages of black and Hispanic males) - Widening rich/poor gap? [MISSING URL] (the 55 million Americans in the poorest fifth of the population lived in households whose average income fell from $10,000 in 1977 to $8,800 in 1999).
What about dry bones in other parts of the world? War, genocide, pollution, poverty, etc.
While it may be that "G*D only knows", we are called to do something very important – lift our voice, be a sentinel, prophesy.
Coming out of graves of delusion that the above are not our issues, that we confess to the dry and broken bones of our lives, and that we have lost our vision of anything different than what we now have is no different in our day than in Ezekiel's.
Breathe upon the dead – Network and cry out, "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!" – then stand back as a breath of new life bursts in and out in all directions.
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2008_03_01_archive.html
One of my favorite images from Nikos Kazantzakis is portraying Holy Spirit as an eagle, not a dove, that swoops down and digs its talons into the back of one's neck and drags you where Holy Spirit desires.
This gives the kind of action needed for Pentecost. It is not a sappy-happy birthday party; it is serious business, transformational for one and all. A response needs to be made, it can't be avoided any longer.
We can't get out of the energy of Pentecost by saying, "Gee, I don't know, what do you think." Eagle Spirit is happening now, so go ahead. Take a deep breath; everything is about to begin.
Bone will knit to bone, separations between languages, cultures, and theologies will be bridged. Creation and re-creation are continuing. Speak and Act: life's dynamic.
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2009_05_01_archive.html
Out of a pool - sight.
Out of dry valley - word.
Note that the only evidence given for this inner vision is in last verse of the pericope, "... and I will place you on your own soil."
In today's world, with all the competing words and the immense power of money, the power of this vision of the lost being found can hang on only so long before it becomes mere words blowing in a very dry wind. There needs to be a bit of evidence thrown in every so often, lest these images fade sufficiently to go in one ear and out the other.
A history of peace instead of history of war would be one way of being reminded that there is everyday evidence that spirit still lives and jubilee still occurs. This is where a community comes in handy, to remember moments of integrity in spite of every cost/benefit analysis that says there is no use.
I suspect that this passage was chosen on the basis of graves being opened, but a stronger reason for its use on this Sunday is the opening question: "Can these bones live?" It is another way of asking, "Who's at fault, whose sin at work here?" To respond hopefully to one is to respond faithfully to the other.
To say, "No, these bones can't live" rather than finessing it with "Only you know", is to acknowledge "sin" as the real bottom line. To claim, that old, dried out bones still have value is to move into new territory of an unfated tomorrow.
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2011/04/ezekiel-371-14.html
There is no question that I am a valley of dry bones. No matter from what perspective, I am very dry. No more ranting sweat. No more sad tears. Dry. Dry.
Lungs dry. Breath dry. Skin dry.
It is not Jesus who has gone AWOL (Absent WithOut [my] Leave), it is I who have been buried by my expectations, my loss of privilege, my claim of dominion.
Can these bones live again? Well, I don’t know and neither do you. Perhaps there is only a decision to not go AWOL (Absent WithOut [my] Life).
Eyes, so dry, blink for relief, blink again, clouded sight, blink and blink and blink some more. Maybe. Maybe.
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2014/04/ezekiel-371-14-vigil.html