WORSHIP -- MARCH 29, 2020

SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2020

Worship 

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PRELUDE  "Come, Now is the Time to Worship"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D87GkWFQYI

CALL TO WORSHIP (inspired by Psalm 130)
If you are worshiping with others, you may read this responsively.

Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD.
Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications!
If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand?
My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning. O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is great power to redeem. It is he who will redeem Israel from all its iniquities.

HYMN: “Breath on Me, Breath of God”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ph-t8P2r_I

SPECIAL MUSIC  "Love Lifted Me"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKO-9CdaSZA

CHILDREN'S MESSAGE  "New Life from Dry Bones"
Source::  sermons4kids.com

I have two stories to tell you this morning. The first story is from the Bible. It is a story of a great prophet who lived thousands of years ago. His name was Ezekiel. Some of the stories about Ezekiel are very strange, almost like today's science fiction stories. Today's story might be a little scary except that it has a really good ending.

Let's use our imaginations. We have to picture a very strange scene and it might help us if we think of the movie The Lion King. Have you seen that movie? Think of the scary scene where Simba, the young lion, is lost in a scary place. He finds himself surrounded by lots of animal bones. Do you have that picture in your mind now?

Now instead of Simba walking around among all these bones, picture a man from the Bible. That's our prophet Ezekiel. In the Bible, Ezekiel finds himself in a desert valley surrounded by dry bones. How did he get there? Well, he didn't just get up one morning and think "I know, I'll go looking for a place that is full of bones!" No, according to the Bible, Ezekiel is sort of teleported into this barren valley full of bones. He just finds himself there. He must feel lonely and scared. It is just he and the bones. Oh, but we can't forget. God is there, too!

God asks Ezekiel a question. He says, "Ezekiel, can these old dry bones live?" Ezekiel doesn't know how to answer this question. After all, he's talking to God. So Ezekiel answers very cleverly, "God, You know the answer."

He's right! God does know the answer and God tells Ezekiel that he will make these old dry bones live again. He will add muscle and skin to them and breathe life into them and what appears to be dead will walk the earth again. And they will be God's people.

If you, listen to the words we use in our worship today -- in the Bible readings, in the sermon, you will hear a lot of talk about breathing life into people.

Remember, I told you I had two stories to tell you. I think most of you probably know the second story. It is not from the Bible, but it is a good story all the same. It is the story of Pinocchio. Who can tell us something about Pinocchio?

Yes, Pinocchio was a puppet. He was nothing but a few sticks of dry wood screwed together. He was like a pile of dry bones. But after a long series of adventures, which bring him closer to his father, the puppet maker, life is breathed into this puppet and he becomes a real boy. As a real boy, he can love his Father and serve his Father like he couldn't do when he was a puppet. Let's imagine ourselves as lifeless puppets. Our Heavenly Father is looking down on us and he is breathing life into us. Once again, God will make dry bones walk on this earth to serve and love the Lord. More than that, these dry bones will run, skip, jump and dance for the Lord. Let's see you move your bones with new life from the Lord.

Now, let's watch this fun video together!

"Dem Bones"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AhAdII3yAc

Let's pray:  Hi God, thank you for the new life you give to us.  Amen!

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

God of all consolation and compassion, your Son comforted the grieving sisters, Martha and Mary; your breath alone brings life to dry bones and weary souls. Pour out your Spirit upon us, that we may face despair and death with the hope of resurrection and faith in the One who called Lazarus forth from the grave.

O God give us the ability to listen as you speak. Give us the ability to comprehend that we are not a valley filled with sun bleached white dry bones. We are your people. We are God’s people. You will place your spirit within us, and we shall live. You will call the four wind, and place your breath within us. We shall live and serve you.

Thank you for always being available to us and always ready to hear our prayers and help us carry our burdens.

(At this time, pray for yourself, for others, for your church and for our nation and world)

We ask these things in the name of Jesus Christ, who first taught us to pray, saying ...

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, for ever, Amen.

**GIVING THANKS   Even though we are not able meet together, please continue to financially support the mission of God and the ministry of Christ through your gifts and offerings by contributing either through the mail or by electronic giving.  Thank you.

SPECIAL MUSIC  "Shout to the Lord"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn5CMSSAx_c

PRAYER

Living God, we thank you for the privilege of giving in your exalted name. We value our ability to give in a way that honors your spirit. As we present our offerings, we remain secure in our knowledge that you will sustain us by your redeeming grace and infinite love. May your righteous spirit always dwell in our hearts. Amen.

HYMN  "Spirit of the Living God" 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BagH-zTfnsQ





GOD'S WORD  Ezekiel 37:1-14
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkBr1aw3kyE

MESSAGE   "Dry Bones"  by Pastor Dave Barrett

About twenty years ago, I completed a very intensive bible study class. The class required 34 weeks of reading about an hour a day for 5 days a week; plus attending a 2-hour class weekly. It was very inclusive as every book in the bible was discussed or portions read with major emphasis upon the Gospels. The class was brutal and not popular. But I learned a great deal about my Christian faith and discovered my favorite old testament lesson: Ezekiel 37: 1-14.

A few years later I completed Lay Servant training and was asked to provide pulpit supply on a particular Sunday. I selected the lesson from Ezekiel 37. The message was well received. This got me on the pulpit rotation, and I began speaking about every 3 or 4 months in a church somewhere. You may notice that I have not stopped speaking.

You may also be aware that scripture lessons (the revised common lectionary) are on a 3-year rotation. So 3 years after I gave that first sermon on Ezekiel 37, I reheated, repeated and slightly modified that sermon only to a different congregation as by this time I had an appointment to a specific church.

To be honest, I have probably reheated, repeated and slightly modified that sermon five times, only to different congregations or different venues. I even delivered that sermon at the chapel of Saint Paul School of Theology to a preaching class at Course of Study. (For which I received an A). I even planned to use that same message at the Lenten Luncheon series in Keokuk, which has now been cancelled.

So now you know two things about me. My favorite Old Testament lesson is Ezekiel 37. And I recycle sermons.

But the message remains. Ezekiel 37 is a message of hope. The Lord has spoken, and the Lord will act.

Let’s set the context for this scripture lesson. Ezekiel is a prophet. He speaks for God. Ezekiel speaks to the Israelite people (the children of God) whom are in Babylonian captivity.

Let’s try to imagine the Babylonian captivity. A foreign country invades your country. Their army overruns your community. They destroy everything within your community. They tear down every structure within your community including the churches. Then they round-up most of the citizens of your community and force march them across the desert to Babylon. Can you imagine the uncertainty of times? Can you imagine the questions from the Israelite people? Can you hear them ask why did this happen? Where is God? How can God still be with us if his house is also destroyed? What is to become of us? Will we ever see your homeland again?

But Ezekiel is with them and speaks for God to them in Babylon.

Ezekiel has a vision. A vision from God which he shares with the people. In his vision God picks him up and whisks him away to a valley in the desert. God sets Ezekiel down in the middle of the valley and asks him to look around. The valley is full of dry bones.

There is a mountain range on his right side. A mountain rage on his left side and a desert valley between them which is filled with sand and dry bones. Dry bones which have become bleached white due to the sun exposure.

If you ever saw the Disney movie the Lion King, you can envision this picture of a desert valley filled with dry bones bleached white in the sun. Nala and Simba are young lion cubs out exploring the area around Pride Rock. Simba has been told about this place, this desert valley of dry bones by his uncle, Scar. It is a trap for Nala and Simba. As they explore the place, Nala is hesitant in her exploration, Simba is enthusiastic in his exploration, Scar sends a group of jackals to kill them. However, Mufasa intervenes and saves them both. But the scene is the same, a desert valley filled with dry bones.

As God and Ezekiel stand in the middle of the desert valley, God asked Ezekiel, “Mortal can these bones live?”

Ezekiel answers, “O Lord God, you know”.

The Lord instructed Ezekiel to prophesy to the dry bones. Ezekiel is to say to them, “Hear the word of the Lord. The bones are to reconnect to each other. They are to grow tendons, ligaments, muscle and be covered with skin. They are to live and know that the Lord is the Lord.”

So Ezekiel prophesied as the Lord commanded. Then he hears a rattling noise as the bones reconnect to each other. They grow tendons, ligaments, muscle and are covered with skin. But they had no breath.

Then the Lord instructed Ezekiel to prophesy to the breath. Ezekiel is to prophesy to the four winds. The winds are to come into these reconnected bones and give them breath and life.

So Ezekiel prophesied to the four winds as the Lord commanded. Breath comes into them. They live. They stand upon their feet. There was a great multitude of them.

Now the Lord explained that these bones represent the whole of Israel. The Lord will place his spirit within them. They shall live. They shall stand. They shall return to the own soil. They shall know that the Lord has spoken, and the Lord will act.

Here is the lesson from this beautiful dry bone story. The dry bones bleached white from the sun, laying out in the desert sand represents us. They represent the Christian church today. It is us! We say the following:

“We have no children in our church!”

“Who will be here in ten years?”

“We will all be gone by then!”

“What does it matter if we repair the things which need to be fixed in the church building?

“It doesn’t matter. We are a field of dry bones.”

But the message is simple! God speaks to us this day. God speaks to us through Ezekiel and says, “hear the word of the Lord! I will put my spirit within you and you shall live! Then you shall know that I have spoken, and I will act!”

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.


HYMN  "This Is a Day of New Beginnings"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqORaqZtC9w

BENEDICTION

May the love of God surround you, the peace of Christ surround you, and the Holy Spirit Guide your way.  Go and live and serve the Lord wherever you are at.  Stay healthy, be safe.  In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

HYMN  "He Lives"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc1CBrtpkok


"GO NOW IN PEACE"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5T_KSLqIAcM

ANNOUNCEMENT: On Thursday, March 26, Governor Reynolds extended the original mandate banning public meetings of more than ten people to
Aprilii 7th. We will keep you posted as to when we will resume our regular worship services. Until then, please join us here next Sunday. Pastor Lane will be providing the message.