Read the story below of a vision from Ezekiel 37:1-14 (The Message version of the Bible story). You can read other versions of it here
1-2 God grabbed me. God's Spirit took me up and set me down in the middle of an open plain strewn with bones. He led me around and among them—a lot of bones! There were bones all over the plain—dry bones, bleached by the sun.
3 He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?"
I said, "Master God, only you know that."
4 He said to me, "Prophesy over these bones: 'Dry bones, listen to the Message of God!'"
5-6 God, told the dry bones, "Watch this: I'm bringing the breath of life to you and you'll come to life. I'll attach sinews to you, put meat on your bones, cover you with skin, and breathe life into you. You'll come alive and you'll realize that I am God!"
7-8 I prophesied just as I'd been commanded. As I prophesied, there was a sound and, oh, rustling! The bones moved and came together, bone to bone. I kept watching. Sinews formed, then muscles on the bones, then skin stretched over them. But they had no breath in them.
9 God said to me, "Prophesy to the breath. Prophesy, son of man. Tell the breath, 'God, the Master, says, Come from the four winds. Come, breath. Breathe on these slain bodies. Breathe life!'"
10 So I prophesied, just as God commanded me. The breath entered them and they came alive! They stood up on their feet, a huge army.
1 Then God said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Listen to what they're saying: 'Our bones are dried up, our hope is gone, there's nothing left of us.'
12-14 "Therefore, prophesy. Tell them, 'God, says: I'll dig up your graves and bring you out alive—O my people! Then I'll take you straight to the land of Israel. When I dig up graves and bring you out as my people, you'll realize that I am God. I'll breathe my life into you and you'll live. Then I'll lead you straight back to your land and you'll realize that I am God. I've said it and I'll do it. God's Decree.'"
The Valley of Dry Bones
In brief, this passage depicts a vision: dry bones are turned into bodies of flesh and blood by God through the Spirit. It is an image that shows us how God can give new energy in the dry times in life; God gives courage in times of fear, hopelessness, or doubt.
A story I read recently describes this in a contemporary way:
When pastor Herbert Wright took on his new pastorate in Yonderton, he realised that his church seemed to be nearly entirely empty on most Sundays. He asked some of the people living in the parish why the church was empty, and they replied: “The Church is dead.”
So Wright got the local newspapers to print an obituary for “the Church”, advertising an official funeral service to be held in church.
On the day of the funeral of the Church, pastor Wright climbed up to his pulpit and saw that the church was packed! Nevertheless, he decided to proceed. At the end of the service he asked every person present to walk past the coffin and to look inside on his or her way out! Should anyone want to change their mind, thinking the church could come to new life again, he or she was to come back into the room through the other door.
As people walked out past the coffin, the unthinkable happened:
Through the other door, those who had said the church was dead came back in, hopeful that the church wasn’t dead after all. Why?
In the coffin was a mirror; so as people were looking in to say their goodbyes to the church, they saw themselves dying as “the church”! (author unknown)
Great God, who is beyond our understanding, thank you for your Spirit, present among us today, as in centuries past. Let it stir us, energise us, and give us courage when life is dry or hopeless! Amen
Dorothee Büürma
Chorlton / Didsbury Pastorate, Manchester
Dorothee was recently accepted for training for ordination as a Minister of Word and Sacraments. Our prayers are with her as she prepares for this training and new journey with Jesus.
