Dry Bones & Jesus

26 Nov Dry Bones & Jesus

Happy Wednesday y’all!

I hope you’re not trying to do anything outside today. Or you might be down the street before you know it. As my favourite AA Milne story once noted, “It was a very blustery day!”

So…while we keep things battened down…let’s take a quick look at what our life together looks like over the next few weeks…

1. Zoom Bible Study Catch-up
   Friday 28th November 2025 @ 1:00 p.m.
   Join Zoom Meeting — https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89674789066 — Meeting ID: 896 7478 9066
2. Advent begins this Sunday, 30^th November. Must mean Christmas can’t be too far away!
3. Christmas Morning Tea – Sunday 7^th December. It’s a festive sort of day, so you’re all invited to dress festively. If you’re not sure what that means, I’m happy to let you borrow one of my festive ties. I have plenty to share!
4. Christmas with the Con – down at the Riverside Entertainment venue – Saturday, 13^th December. The evening kicks off with carols at about 6:00 p.m. Followed by the finest Christmas music you’ll hear this season…from our very own local Conservatorium talent. It should be an excellent evening!
5. Christmas Worship @ Living Water
   1. Christmas Eve – Wednesday 24^th December @ 7:00 p.m.
   2. Christmas Day – Thursday 25^th December @ 9:00 a.m.

Our Advent/Christmas worship theme is “Christmas is…” In our world, say the word “Christmas,” and people get all sorts of pictures or definitions in mind that may in fact have little to do with the Christmas narrative we tell or events we celebrate as followers of Jesus. But more than the obvious & trite “Jesus is the reason for the season,” Jesus’ birth among us as one of us is a much richer & more varied gift than even we might expect. There is great hope, peace, joy & love in the Father sending the Son to suffer & die for us to (as Peter says) “bring you safely home to God.” (1 Pet 3:18)

It’s especially exciting when those of us who are so deeply & regularly engaged in the life of God’s people invite others who are not to join us for worship. This is perhaps the best time of the year to simply invite a friend or family member who isn’t yet in a living relationship with Jesus (or who doesn’t seem to be) to be in worship with you. Grab one of our postcard-sized flyers & share it with them while you’re having coffee together or something…

This morning I was out at Caloola Court for our monthly worship time. It’s always a good experience to be among our senior saints & not-quite-yet-saints…Our ministry there is growing in scope & that excites me greatly. Today I shared with them Ezekiel 37…the well-loved dry bones story. Ezekiel speaks to a nation in utter chaos. The Northern Kingdom of Israel has already been crushed by the Assyrians & many in the Southern Kingdom of Judah have similarly been taken to Babylon as captives. Jerusalem is not far from its collapse & it’s to that experience of God’s punishment by defeat & exile that Ezekiel speaks. His vision of dry bones brought back to life by the powerful Word of God is God’s answer to the despair of God’s people. God speaks to Ezekiel saying, “Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, ‘We have become old, dry bones—all hope is gone. Our nation is finished.’” – Ezk 37:11

Now…setting the vision of dry bones aside for a minute…Notice that God quotes his beleaguered people’s lament. Even in their rebellion God hears their cries. Yes…they’ve earned his wrath, & are receiving it in full, but he’s still listening to them in the secret corners of their hearts. God hears their despair. God attends to their grief & hopelessness. AND God refuses to allow that despair, grief & hopelessness to be the last word on his people. As the prophet’s prophesying has reanimated the dry bones, so will God bring his people to life again…ultimately with God in their midst: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile & cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel…I will put my Spirit in you, & you will live again & return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, & I have done what I said. Yes, the Lord has spoken!’” – Ezk 37:12-14 Every “I will” is a promise of restoration. Every promise is a word of hope. Every hope is fully ours in Jesus. And there’s where we’re heading this Sunday in worship…which is why your family & friends need to be invited sooner rather than later!

See you there!

John