BREATH OF LIFE

1. Introduction

A.                 Read

B.                 Text for yesterday’s council retreat

C.                 Consider context.  “Introduction to Ezekiel”

2. Why consider a valley of “Dry Bones” Today?

A.                 We live in a world of denial

1.      Global Warming

2.      War in Iraq

3.      Economic Injustice

4.      Destructive Human Behavior

5.      Problems and difficulties of others

B.                 We live in a world of full of despair

1.      For those living in grinding poverty – 40,000 dying of hunger every day.

                                 2.   For those living whose lives are scarred by violence in Darfur,

                                       Baghdad, Guatemala, in the ghettos across our nation, in our own

                                       neighborhoods, among people we know and see everyday.

                                 3.   For those who feel trapped in one way or another-in a dead end

                                       job, in a spirit-draining relationship, by overwhelming

                                       that seem beyond one’s control. 

3. Why consider a valley of “Dry Bones” as God’s people here at Ascension today?

A.                 “Our bones are dried up, our hope is gone, there’s nothing left of us.”

1.      We grieve the loss of members, a couple of very dear ones in recent weeks.

2.      We fear what that means for the life of our congregation.

a.      How can we keep the doors open?

b.      How can we pay the pastor?

c.       Will we even survive?         

                                  3.   Like the people of Israel, the temptation to denial is real for us.

                                          a.   So, we resist talking openly about our fears

                                          b.   Or we tell ourselves that if we just keep trying to do what

                                                we’ve been doing, only harder, then everything will be

                                                okay.

                            4.   Like the people of Israel, the temptation to despair is real too.

                                     a.  If we had only done this or that, we wouldn’t be where we

                                          are today. 

b.      Maybe if we’d tried harder, prayed harder, had more faith,    

      the situation would be totally different.

c.       There’s got to be a reason so we blame ourselves or maybe

someone else. 

B.                 But to those whose bones are dried up, whose hope is gone, feel

there’s nothing left, God speaks. 

1.      A word of restoration, and bringing together

2.      A word of life in a world of death.

3.      While dead dry bones coming to life is amazing, the REAL

   miracle is the coming of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit

                                 4.   The Spirit of God that brings new life and a new beginning.

Pastor Brian Peterson