The Bridge St. choir will be singing a version of the spiritual Dem Bones on Sunday, complete with percussion and other fun stuff. Terry has chosen this anthem because of the Ezekiel passage on which it is based. We get two interesting resurrection passages this Sunday, the one of the Valley of Dry Bones in Ezekiel 37 and the raising of Lazarus in John 11. As a preacher I've had to figure out whether to address these scripture readings as a pastoral foretaste of Easter or as an opportunity to reflect on the desiccated and scattered bones of our United Church. God's question: "O Mortal, can these bones live?" is an essential one for us at the moment, and we don't yet know if we can be resuscitated, or should be.
I have mentioned the Comprehensive Review underway in the United Church, a process which some are concerned has more to do with structure that Christ rolling away the stone and calling us to something new. But in the dry bones vision, the skeletons have to come together before being held together with sinew and muscles and ultimately receiving breath.
Our Bridge St. Abundant Living Dialogue Day this Saturday will be an opportunity to explore whether there is still life in the bones of this congregation. We will celebrate our 200th anniversary in 2015 and we want to uphold our hope, rather than nostalgia.
I know where I am going homiletically on Sunday, but it wouldn't be any fun if I told you now. I do know that the Christ who says "I am resurrection and I am life" will always be at the heart of my ministry.
Thoughts?
The Christ who is at the heart of your ministry should be at the heart of every church's ministry - I wonder if congregations need assistance in recognizing what Christ is actually doing.... that is our whole raison d'etre...
ReplyDelete... meanwhile, the choir members will have a lot of fun with the "dry bones" anthem! And I think Jesus would love that!
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