March 29, 2020

Breaking Open the Scripture Scriptures for March 29th: Ezekiel 37:1-14, Psalm 130, Romans 8:6-11, John 11:1-45; Theme: Fifth Sunday of Lent Ezekiel: Given all that is going on in the world today, it is easy to lose hope. It is easy for us to assume that things will never change for the better. Ezekiel must have felt that way when he returned to his neighborhood and saw waste and destruction everywhere. It seemed that it was the dead of winter and everything around him was dead. He describes it as seeing dry dead bones everywhere. This is one of my favorite passages, because eventually Ezekiel sees the bones turn into a living body, God breathes life into the body and the whole scene comes back to life. The community has hope again and starts to thrive. Right now for us, things seems hopeless, but spring and new life is coming. Bones represent the very depth of our soul, the core of our being. What needs to happen in order for us to regain hope at the core of our being? Romans: Romans is one of the most important books of the bible in explaining what it means to be a Christian. Romans chapter 8 has one of the most important messages in the chapter. Paul talks about the difference between living life in the spirit and living life in the flesh. According to Paul, when we are Christians, we are flesh and blood, but we also have the spirit of Christ inside of us. It is the spirit that affects who we are and how we live in the world. When we have the spirit of Christ, we think and act differently. This is a continuation of the theme of Ezekiel. That we are dry bones until we have the spirit of Christ inside of us to truly bring us to life. Questions: What situations are going on in life that seem hopeless? What will happen in order for the spirit of life to be restored? How has being a Christian changed your response to life? What reminds you that it is not okay to live and respond to life in the flesh?