The Old Testament reading for last week was from Ezekiel, and told the story of the valley of dry bones. Told by God to prophesy to the bones, he did so, and then he watched as the bones knitted together, then gained flesh and finally had life breathed into them. In the biblical sense of the word, a Prophet is one who receives a divine message and speaks to people on behalf of a deity.
In her sermon last week, Pastor Katlin asked us, too, to prophesy to the dry bones of our community, because we are not only a church in good times, but also in times of isolation and confinement.
We have been doing Zoom “choir rehearsals”, which really are just a means for us to check in with each other and to voice any fears or successes we have had during the week while we are all isolated from each other. This week I have had texts or emails from my dad, my brother and my sister and my friend in Nevada. I received a call from a dear friend on Kauai. I had a long text “conversation” with Lisa. I got a private message on Facebook from my daughter-in-law, and neighbors called to check on us: all these calls and messages are out of the ordinary….we all mostly go through our days with little contact, but these “prophets’ spoke to me with words of encouragement and love.
Last week Ezekiel was told to “prophesy to the dry bones.” and today, Palm Sunday and the last Sunday in Lent, the Old Testament reading is from the prophet Isaiah; 50:4 “The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word.”
I am thankful for all you prophets. Keep speaking to the dry bones, wherever you meet them…..
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