I Will Cause Breath
/by Rev. Kay Ash
For some reason which might seem obvious, I have been thinking a LOT about Ezekiel 37 over the past few weeks. In this story, God puts God’s hand on and guides Ezekiel to the middle of a valley that is filled with dry bones. God then asks Ezekiel what seems like a very weird question: “Mortal, can these bones live?” Poor Ezekiel, he has no idea what to say, he just pushes the question back to God with a non-answer. So, God persists; God pointedly directs Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones, to tell the bones in plain terms that God will cause breath to enter and the bones will live. So, Ezekiel does what he is asked to do, and the rattling bones come together. The rattling bones come together, but there is no breath. So, God persists. God pointedly directs Ezekiel to do the same thing again: to prophesy. Ezekiel is to say the words out loud and God will bring the ‘ruah’ (Hebrew word which can mean Breath, Wind, Spirit).
I wonder why God asks Ezekiel to do the talking. God ‘talks’ to Ezekiel, but why doesn’t God talk to the bones? And why does Ezekiel have to say the same thing over and over again? If God had done the talking to the bones, would the bones have gathered and lived more quickly? Perhaps. But maybe, quickly is not the point; maybe the point is deeper than that. Maybe the experience of dry bones can be life giving. Maybe the slow, dry, dusty, hard-as-concrete, defiant, unwilling, messy, dangerous, and breathless valleys are exactly the kind of place where God’s ruah (Breath/Spirit), mercy and love swirl together into a life-giving covenantal stew.
In truth, God’s Spirit is profoundly moving right now in the midst of what feels like dry bones ministry and I want to be sure that you are aware. I know we have been separated. I know we have not hugged each other in a long time. I know it seems like forever since we have taken a good, long, deep breath. I know. But, let me assure you, at least two big things are happening that took all of us by surprise. Bones are rattling, concrete is cracking, God is causing breath to enter.
Forever ago, a gathering of North Texas Conference youth and children’s folk got together to write the curriculum to be used for Bridgeport summer camping 2020. When the virus hit, we gathered again to re-write everything for virtual camps. Stories, activities, everything we could think of to bring elements of camping into a virtual world. None of us had done this before. None of us could imagine how it would happen. And frankly, we did not think anybody would show up.
The picture to the left is just a portion of the junior high students that have shown up this week for a virtual Bridgeport Camp! The Gospel is being shared, songs are being sung, crazy games are being played and I cannot wait for the talent show at the end of this week. Just as many kids have signed up for children’s camp (completed 3rd, 4th, 5th grades) which begins on Monday. How is this possible? How can it be that the ruah (Breath/Spirit) of God is moving so boldly, so wildly? Just wow.
If your student wants to join us next week, you can register HERE.
The other thing that is taking us all by surprise is a virtual Vacation Bible School. For many months children’s folk have been getting together through zoom with the Rev. Dr. Leanne Hadley (the UMC’s leading expert on children’s ministries) once a week for an hour. 70+ UMC, UCC and Presbyterian churches have participated by sharing scripture, supporting each other, and sharing good ideas. When we all learned that in-person Vacation Bible Schools would not be possible, we decided to join and create a virtual one by shooting some short videos. Our very own North Texas Conference stepped in with funding and administrative support. We hired a sweet 19-year-old young man somewhere in Kentucky who edited everything in his parents’ basement. None of us had done this before. None of us could imagine how it would happen. And frankly, we did not think anybody would show up.
But then, we saw the finished videos and hundreds of churches across the United States had seen them too! Thousands of children will have a virtual Vacation Bible School where they will hear the Word of God this summer! How is this possible? How can it be that the ruah (Breath/Spirit) of God is moving so boldly, so wildly? Just wow.
Check out THIS TRAILER.
If your PK3 to completed 5th grade student wants to join our KPUMC Vacation Bible School the week of July 6th, register HERE.
A valley of dry bones coming to life seems a lot more plausible this week than it ever has before. God’s Spirit is on the move right now. So, what do we do? Let’s go back to Ezekiel 37: God will find us, lead us, set us down, ask us great questions, tell what to say, will not let us give up and it is God who will bring the ruah (Breath/Spirit). Our job: is to “Prophesy to these bones . . .” Tell everybody these things are happening, say it out loud – prophesy to the Breath. And, if you want to be part of bones rattling, lungs filling with air, and if you want to swirl in God’s life-giving covenantal stew this summer, send me an e-mail..
God asks: “Mortal, can these bones live?” How would you answer?