You may wish to light a
candle and place it before you as you begin.
OPENING DIALOGUE
Testify
to the goodness of God.
Sing praise to
God.
Testify to the love of Christ.
Sing praise to
Christ.
Testify to the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Sing praise to
Spirit.
HYMN: Every time I feel the
Spirit
YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJxTxWlCv5k
READINGS
FIRST
READING: Ezekiel 37:1-14 (CEB)
A reading from: Ezekiel
37 The Lord’s power overcame me, and
while I was in the Lord’s spirit,
he led me out and set me down in the middle of a certain valley. It was full of
bones. 2 He led me
through them all around, and I saw that there were a great many of them on the
valley floor, and they were very dry.
3 He asked
me, “Human one, can these bones live again?” I said, “Lord God, only you know.”
4 He said to
me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, Dry bones, hear the Lord’s word! 5 The Lord God proclaims to these
bones: I am about to put breath in you, and you will live again. 6 I will put
sinews on you, place flesh on you, and cover you with skin. When I put breath
in you, and you come to life, you will know that I am the Lord.”
7 I prophesied
just as I was commanded. There was a great noise as I was prophesying, then a
great quaking, and the bones came together, bone by bone. 8 When I
looked, suddenly there were sinews on them. The flesh appeared, and then they
were covered over with skin. But there was still no breath in them.
9 He said to
me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, human one! Say to the breath, The Lord God proclaims: Come
from the four winds, breath! Breathe into these dead bodies and let them live.”
10 I prophesied
just as he commanded me. When the breath entered them, they came to life and
stood on their feet, an extraordinarily large company.
11 He said to
me, “Human one, these bones are the entire house of Israel. They say, ‘Our
bones are dried up, and our hope has perished. We are completely finished.’ 12 So now,
prophesy and say to them, The Lord God
proclaims: I’m opening your graves! I will raise you up from your graves, my
people, and I will bring you to Israel’s fertile land. 13 You will
know that I am the Lord, when I
open your graves and raise you up from your graves, my people. 14 I will put
my breath / spirit in you, and you will live. I will plant you on your
fertile land, and you will know that I am the Lord. I’ve spoken, and I will do
it. This is what the Lord says.
Word of God, word of life. Thanks be
to God.
Gospel: John 20:19-23 (CEB)
A reading
from: John
19 It was
still the first day of the week. That evening, while the disciples were behind
closed doors because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities, Jesus came and
stood among them. He said, “Peace be with you.” 20 After he
said this, he showed them his hands and his side. When the disciples saw the
Lord, they were filled with joy. 21 Jesus said to them
again, “Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I am sending you.” 22 Then he
breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you
forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you don’t forgive them, they
aren’t forgiven.”
Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God.
REFLECTION:
The time and place for our reading from
the Prophet Ezekiel is about 550 BCE in Babylon. Ezekiel is a prophet who sees visions
and dreams and acts out them out for his community, a sort of multi-media
demonstration. It seems there is a community of supporters who write down what
he says and does, so we have lots of his visions and activities to explore.
The visions and demonstrations all point to a future where the despairing Judeans are sent back to their homeland from exile in Babylon. In this reading, Ezekiel has a vision of a valley of dead bones. Nothing grows there, not even weeds, it seems. God and Zeke have a conversation about life and death. First, God puts together the bones into human form, adds skin and organs and muscles. The valley is now filled with bodies, not just bones. But the bodies are just lying there.
God says, “Can these bodies live?” Zeke
says, “Only you know that. It’s up to you to put life in them.” God replies, “Say
to the wind, blow your breath and spirit into these bodies so they can live.” And
the bodies come to life.
God has a purpose in this vision. It’s to
assure Ezekiel that God has the power to return the entire household of Israel to
their homeland. God says, “The people of Israel feel like they are lost, dead.
They are so depressed, it is if they have no life in them. Now go and preach to
the people that God knows how they feel and promises there will come a time
when their lives and land will be restored to them!” And here, the vision ends.
I suppose the disciples are feeling just as depressed and lifeless on that day, the third day after the crucifixion. Their vision of the future with Jesus has been nailed to the cross with him. Deflated, depressed, scared, they huddle together behind locked doors. Suddenly, Jesus enters the room.
“Peace be with you,” he says. And he
breathes on them, giving them the Holy Spirit / Breath/ Wind. And then, just as
God told Ezekiel, Jesus says, “Now, go and share this Spirit / breath/ wind
with everyone else.
We have been given this same Spirit/
breath / wind. The Greek word pneuma means “air in motion.” It is up to
us to keep the Spirit/ breath / wind in motion, reaching out to others with
Jesus’ Holy Spirit. As we share the peace with them, we pass on the Spirit. We pass
on the breath of life and the winds of promises kept. Amen
SCRIPTURE DIALOGUE
Long
ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets,
but
in these last days, God has spoken to us by the Son.
PRAYERS
In Christ Jesus we meet the God who knows our weakness and bears
the wounds of the world. Therefore, let us be bold as we pray, trusting that
God draws near to those in any kind of need.
Individual prayers are offered silently or aloud.
Into your wide embrace, O God, we place all our prayers, spoken
and unspoken, trusting that you will receive them into your heart of mercy,
Jesus Christ, your Son, our Savior. Amen
LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in
heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as
it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our
trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into
temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
HYMN: Now it is Evening
YouTube link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LdnT4TpJD8
BLESSING
Now go forth
with the song of the seraphs in your hearts.
We will praise
God’s glory and strength.
Depart to rejoin the wayward world we live in.
We will be led
by the voice of the Lord.
Go in peace as children of the Almighty Creator,
Thanks be to
the Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit.
Scripture from Common
English Bible © 2012
Liturgy from ELW
Annual Liturgy License 26504
And Abingdon Worship
Annual 2021
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