Beautiful Things: Ezekiel 37: 1-14

Ezekiel 37:1-14

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. He led me all round them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, "Mortal, can these bones live?" I answered, "O Lord God, you know." Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I 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."

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. I 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. Then 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." I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.

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.' Therefore 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. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I 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."

Every morning, my alarm is this song. I know that’s a little cheesy. But I’ve chosen it, because every morning, I wake up with the gift of a choice. I choose to accept my fault lines, the less becoming parts of my personality, and every weakness I possess, I accept all of it, knowing that I don’t have to be my own savior. What I bring to Christ’s table is enough. I bring honesty, I bring humility, I bring effort, and I bring grace for others, because I believe that God is in the business of making beautiful things out of the dust of our lives. And so I bring my dust. That’s what it means to sit at Christ’s table together: we get a choice to honor one another’s dust, to become a part of each other’s stories in the hope that we catch a glimpse of the beautiful way Christ is at work redeeming us all. I believe this with every bone in my body, every mistake I make, every scar on my body. All of it belongs at Christ’s table, where we are received just as we are- bodies created to be redeemed in love.

I don’t think I could offer remarks on this text from Ekeziel better than they speak on their own: When we say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.' 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. I 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." This is the truth Jesus came to earth to fulfill. And it’s the truth we enter every single day we claim our identity in Christ.

Poetry for Today

Finding meaning in the mess

A single glance at the room

Reveals a tepid mess:

Love unencumbered by order

Stray scissors tell a story

Of creating a compass without a point:

Call it a directional, perhaps

(that language is directly from Briggs)

A hair clip and candy wrapper,

An empty bottle of water:

Life flowing from every corner

This room is no mess,

Save for the way all love is

Given and received in plenty,

Strewn about with joy

Finding its place in a rhythm

So perfectly disordered

It at once feels right

And clean and good

Like I imagined it could

To bring life into this world

Is to enter the tepid mess

And wait for the days that shine

Thirty-Three

Thirty-three is not old enough

to know the depths of life, I often hear

As my scars stare back in the mirror

True I do not know it all, Do you?

I know the pain of child new

The searing memory of cancer removed,

Veins collapsed and nerves disturbed,

The hurt of a single word.

I know the way my heart breaks

With news of loved one dying

I know the tearing of my soul

With child inconsolably crying.

What if we exposed these scars,

The ones we each bear

For the threads of healing they may contain?

These are mine, what might you share?

I do not know all of life’s pain,

And thank God for that too.

What I do know need not be felt in vain.

Yours neither, as we journey on our way

The story of our scars meets the hands and feet

Of one who bears all pain, suffering and defeat

(he too was thirty-three)

Only to rise again so we might too

In the eternal story of life made new.

Newsfeed

I’m filled with tears today

The weight of change

Contrasted by the way

new efforts of care await

those of us who want to create

good alongside God

In my newsfeed today

I cried at the way

people clap from their balcony

Honoring neighbors who keep

Communities safe for those in need.

In my newsfeed today

I laughed at the sheer

Magnitude of joy in mere

Household moments that capture

The chaos and good cheer.

In my newsfeed today

I pause and give thanks

For the way you make

Life better for me, for we

Are in it together, may it always be.

My newsfeed today is God smiling

What a sweet sight indeed!

Virtual Worship: The Story, Isaiah 43: 16-21

Isaiah 43:16-21 This is what the Lord says—he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise!

The world around Isaiah and the Israelites also felt like it was shaking. Upended. Uncertain. And the word God spoke through Isaiah is this: Don’t dwell on what could have been, see I am doing a new thing! I provide for my people, always, do you perceive it? I know it can be tough to perceive the good in new things- so that’s why we’re gathering for the sake of worship this morning- to remind ourselves and each other of what’s guided us thus and will continue long after this pandemic is complete: our story of faith.

No matter what pages of our human story we read, God has always been present in the most uncertain of times. God is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end. Jesus is the author of our faith, and no matter what you’re feeling in this moment, our collective faith is big enough to handle it. And our shared faith is derived from stories. That’s what the bible is: a collection of stories that are authentic, meaningful, and formative. Stories become who we are, and as Christians, each of our unique narratives intersect with The Story: the one about God’s unending love for the whole world. Your story matters- and in just a bit I’ll invite you to share from it. But first let me celebrate the stories from scripture that have transformed you and shaped who you are and how you see God at work:

God remains faithful in Abraham’s life, even as he and Sarah faced seemingly insurmountable odds. (Thanks Val Kelly!)

God remains present in Jonah’s life- using a great big fish to get his attention and focus on what really matters- helping others! (Cindy)

God remains steadfast through dark valleys and green pastures, like the author of Psalm 23 assures us (Thanks, Dee)

God remains peaceful, as Jesus proclaims in John: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (Thanks, Bernie)

God remains reassuring of our future,

·        And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. -Romans 8:28

·      For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. -Jeremiah 29:11

·      Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” -Joshua 1: 9

·      ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” -Revelation 21:4 (Arlene)

God remains in touch with our human experience, as Larry Lyngstad recalls from his great feat of memorizing this verse from John 11:35 in his confirmation class: “Jesus Wept.”

God remains hopeful through the words of Paul: Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Vicki & Enid)

Lastly, God remains with us, through it all: “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (Lori)

God remains, of that I’m certain- no matter how uncertain we are about our future. God’s love will find us- because it does, every time. THESE are the stories of our faith that we need now more than ever. Scripture is our foundation, and our own life stories are how we make sense of it. My story- your story, our stories matter, because they’re the foremost way we see God at work in this world.

And here’s why not having in-person worship is so hard: we need each other to listen and interpret these stories for us. The truth is much like Brandy Carlile sings in The Story: So many stories of where I’ve been, and how I got to where I am, but these stories don’t mean anything when you’ve got no one to tell them to. When I first heard her sing this song, my first thought was “this is a church song! This is about building a loving community!”

So as we listen to this song The Story for a meditative moment, this is where you get involved: I’d like you to comment about that thing I asked you to wear. What is it? What word or phrase best captures what it says about you and your story? It doesn’t have to be super deep, but it’s great if you say something we might not know about you! And if you didn’t wear anything, no big deal- share a sentence or two of your story with us today. And be sure to read all the comments if you’re able as we build onto THE STORY of God’s love for this beautiful and broken world (virtual connection)

“It's true, I was made for you” In our most vulnerable times, our stories become more powerful. You know that feeling when somebody tells you a deep part of their story? That connection made, that’s church at its best. That’s our faith lived out in real time. Sharing the stories of who we are, all the lines on our faces, all we’ve been through. Thank you for sharing a piece of your story today. Next week I’ll share a bit more of mine with you.

I have a challenge for you this week- in whatever safe form of communication you can manage, Would you commit to sharing your story this week with someone who doesn’t yet know that deep part of you yet? It doesn’t even have to be your whole story, just a piece of it. Let your walls fall, trust that in the sharing of who we are, we become closer to the one who created THE Story, God whose love is big enough for the whole world.

Genesis 2: 18-23 Hello in There: On Loneliness and Companionship

Artistic Expressions by Liz Almlie

Listen to this sermon here!

Have you heard about the latest health epidemic? The emotional and physical strain is real. No, I’m not talking about Coronavirus, although that’s a concern, I’m suggesting we speak about something that affects way more people. Do you know its name? Loneliness. That’s right, it’s a real health crisis, and it’s on the rise. So what do we do about it? I’d like to offer a statistic from a recent national study to open our hearts before hearing scripture today. More than three in five Americans report being lonely, which means if you don’t experience loneliness, the person sitting next to you just might. Let’s begin our quest for hope with the story of creation. After God creates a good, diverse, and beautiful world, God keeps right on creating, because divine intelligence knows there’s something else important to enjoying it all: companionship.

Genesis 2: 18-23, Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.” ¹⁹ So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. ²⁰ The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man^[c] there was not found a helper as his partner. ²¹ So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. ²² And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. ²³ Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh, this one shall be called Woman, for out of Man this one was taken.”

Being with someone who truly “gets” us is so significant to our wellbeing, that God literally forms relationship as the pinnacle of creation. “At last, bone of my bone.” It’s Lent, a time when we get earthy about our wellbeing: so let me ask you, are you lonely? I’ve had plenty of seasons in life where loneliness consumed me. It’s okay to admit- in fact it’s good, because it means we can acknowledge how deeply we want someone to “get” who we are. We can begin that journey right here: accepting Christ’s companionship this Lent, the one who is ready and willing to take our hand through whatever life throws our way. But sometimes God’s presence is hard to feel apart from the tangible warmth of another human heart. Bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh.

Which makes what I’m about to say so hard. One of the more common reasons people share with me for why they haven’t attended worship in a while is this: You know I love our church, but sometimes sitting in that pew makes me feel, well I’m not sure, I guess…lonely. You can imagine how sad that makes me, any minister. It could be unresolved grief, the absence of family members, difficult memories, or spiritual wrestling from unanswered questions. Whatever it is driving this loneliness, it’s real- and I know church isn’t the only place it’s felt. But church IS the place it seems most compelling for us to do the hard work of discerning why these feelings surface and how we might do better at saying, “hello in there” to each other.

It’s not wrong to feel lonely, but it is wrong for us to ignore folks when they express that emotion. I’ll admit, it can be hard for me to understand why Sunday morning worship might feel lonely, given how much I love all of you and how worship is ‘my thang’! But I do recognize that I get to interact closely with you all, and for good reason, some of you don’t yet know one another’s names! Maybe even after worshipping together for years. I know it’s in part a product of our worship style. You do plenty of listening to me, facing forward rather than one another, and our Sunday morning time feels perpetually limited for deep conversation.

And it’s this engagement in deep and meaningful conversations that will make an impact on someone’s loneliness. "In-person connections are what really matters," says Doug Nemecek, chief medical officer for behavioral health at Cigna. "Sharing that time to have a meaningful interaction and conversation, to share our lives with others, is important to help us mitigate and minimize loneliness."

This recent study outlined by Elena Renken points out that social isolation (as it’s often called) is not confined to a certain demographic, although young adults seem to be hit hardest. Just think about how pervasive it is- 3 in 5 Americans! Some of you may be saying, “so I’m lonely, so what!” I’ll tell you what research suggests. Loneliness tips the scales not only of our mental health, depression and anxiety factoring in most heavily, but also our physical wellbeing. Did you know that loneliness is demonstrated to have as much negative effect on our life expectancy as smoking 15 cigarettes a day? It also impacts cognitive decline, depression, and heart disease. It’s not just a feeling, it’s a mental and physical health epidemic.

And from the very beginning, we’ve known this. Our origin story tells us that it is not good for us to be alone, not without significant and meaningful connections. Are you ready for the good news? We ARE doing something about loneliness here in this church. We ARE taking seriously our origin story and Christ’s call to embody him together. In these past 3 years, you have helped discern new ways of saying YES to companionship and deep conversation. I’d like to highlight three of these new ministries:

1.    Table Groups- we have 7 tables groups that launched this year, providing more intentional conversation space around spiritual questions, with over 60 of you taking part. And there’s always room for more at the table! These aren’t just social gatherings, no, these are sacred spaces honoring the truth that we were created for community (and laughter, and food).

2.    Messy Church- Our 1^st Wednesday worship in Bradford Hall is anything but isolating. We move around, we spill paint, we eat and laugh, we tell stories and let the kids teach us something new about God’s love each month. And we worship facing each other!

3.    Our 2020 pictorial directory- Soon you will have the chance to study up on each other’s names! By including photos and contact info, we’re offering real ways to connect on a personal level beyond our worship space. And all of this matters deeply.

This is the good news- the great news is that YOU can be involved in any or all of these ministries- saying, “hello in there” to each other. We can work (one relationship at a time) to minimize loneliness and build Christ’s beloved community. Above all else, please do NOT feel guilty about being lonely. We place so much emphasis on independence and privacy in our culture, even the most extroverted can have a hard time seeking out companionship. A few weeks ago, my very extroverted Grandma who’d been living in her own apartment suffered another stroke; by doctor’s orders, my dad made the hard decision to place Grandma in a nursing home. She resisted at first, as you can imagine, but (I just love this) within 24 hrs of moving there—no joke, less than a day—she called my dad to say, “Wayne, this is my favorite place I’ve ever lived in my entire life!! I just love it here, there’s a weekly bible study, great meals, a walking garden, and always someone to talk to, all in the same place!! I just love it.”

Turns out, my independent grandma needed someone to say, “hello in there,” on a daily basis, like we all do. Let’s make 2020 the year we seek out the companionship Christ embodies, and let’s be those companions for others too! It’s a beautiful world we live in, made all the better by meaningful relationships. And if you haven’t heard it in a while: “hello in there.”

Matthew 4:1-11 Christ’s Crowded Table: An Invitation

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I didn’t grow up in a denomination that observed Lent, so when I first experienced this mysterious season of the church in college, it took me awhile to learn what it’s all about. Turns out, Lent isn’t in the Bible- it’s something the church has created to remind us of living in a sacrificial way. But we don’t sacrifice just for the heck of it- it’s purposeful, drawing us back to Christ’s table, where we are nourished for the sake of serving others.

Barbara Brown Taylor describes this return to sacrificial living for the sake of building a Christ-centered community: “The church dug deep into its faith story, recalling the time (always with the number forty involved) that Israel, Elijah, and Jesus each spent in the desert, wandering and suffering, longing and learning: hungry. In response to this hunger, this emptiness, this longing, the church, Taylor says, created Lent as "a springtime of the soul." (In fact, the English word "Lent" comes from the word for "spring.") Like our own urge to clean house in the spring, the church recognized the need for a spiritual spring cleaning as well and offers us "[f]orty days to cleanse the system and open ours eyes to what remains when all comfort is gone…to live by the grace of God alone and not by what we can supply ourselves. I invite you into Lent today with…

Matthew 4:1-11 Christ’s Crowded Table: An Invitation

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." But he answered, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'" Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! for it is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'" Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.

Jesus has the opportunity to elevate himself, forsaking others in the pursuit of power, control, and dominion over the earth. And he doesn’t, that’s why this story begins our Lenten journey each year. Because Jesus doesn’t give in to evil’s temptation to take more than he needs. Instead, he chooses what? To take the harder, self-sacrificial road to a type of power that liberates others. In our newsletter this month, I offer why the wilderness is important for Jesus to understand human suffering. But he doesn’t just understand suffering, he redeems it, beginning with his own.

And all that desert work of the soul leads Jesus to table with his friends, the night before he dies. The course of history is altered that night. Billions of people today recognize the significance of that moment Jesus pours himself out for the sake of others. We call it a sacrament. In Jesus’ final meal with his disciples, he makes a new covenant that expands God’s community. Christ wants a house with a crowded table. A welcome for ALL who are hungry for purpose. All who thirst for a Springtime of the soul. Everyone who is looking to commit to a life-force more powerful than we can imagine. Christ does the hard work of making self-sacrifice an eternally-fulfilling way forward.

That’s what Jesus is doing in the wilderness- preparing for us a place at a table where we are all wanted, no need goes unmet, and self-sacrifice guides us to holy community. It’s this holy community that I hear reflected in the Highwomen’s new song Crowded Table:

You can hold my hand, When you need to let go
I can be your mountain, When you're feeling valley-low
I can be your streetlight, Showing you the way home
You can hold my hand, When you need to let go

I want a house with a crowded table, And a place by the fire for everyone.

Jesus could accomplish his new covenant on his own. He’s that powerful. Instead, he chooses to invite us on the journey, knowing that in our attempt to create beloved community, we too will be transformed. 

In our call to worship today, Teddie reminded us of this invitation: “Beloved of God, let us drink deeply from the wellspring of God’s Spirit, which has all we need to live fully, love deeply, and serve faithfully.” That’s what Christ’s Crowded Table is all about. You are welcome here. We are all welcome here. And it is my deep delight that we witnessed another sacrament today affirming our beloved invitation to Christ’s table. Baptism- what a deep privilege we have in teaching Theodore (and continue learning for ourselves) why Christ’s table is so darn crowded: Because doing life together transforms us and the world we live in. Amen!