New Breath in Dead Bones (Ezekiel 37:1-14)

Where are you in your daily walk with God?

Some people still feel lost or disoriented after COVID. Things in their home church may seem so unfamiliar that it is almost a different church than the one they called home. All the divisiveness in our society and congregations have only added to the feeling of ennui many of us have experienced.

That brings us to today’s text: Ezekiel 37:1-14

Many churches today know what Ezekiel’s valley of dry bones feels like. After COVID closures, some congregations returned to sanctuaries that felt emptier than before. Pews that once held familiar faces now hold silence. Programs that once brought energy now feel harder to sustain. It is easy to look around and quietly echo the words of Israel: “Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely” (v. 11).

Ezekiel is taken by God into a valley filled with bones—scattered, brittle, long forgotten. God asks him, “Mortal, can these bones live?” (v. 3). Ezekiel doesn’t pretend to have an answer. He simply says, “O Lord God, you know.” That honest humility is where renewal begins.

God tells Ezekiel to speak to the bones. As he does, the bones come together. Tendons and flesh appear. The valley begins to change. But there is still no breath. It looks like life, but it is not yet alive.

Then God says, “Prophesy to the breath… and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds… and breathe upon these slain, that they may live” (v. 9). When the breath comes, the bones stand on their feet—a vast multitude.

This valley Ezekiel sees is not just a landscape—it is a mirror. We know what that valley feels like. We know what it is to look at a situation, or a relationship, or even our own spirit, and say the same words the people of Israel said: “Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely” (v. 11).

This vision is not just about ancient Israel. It is a word for every congregation that wonders what the future holds.
It is a word for every church that feels smaller, older, or tired.
It is a word for every pastor and layperson who has prayed, “Lord, can these bones live?”

The answer is not found in our strength, our numbers, or our plans.
The answer is found in God’s breath.

God says, “I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live” (v. 14).
This is God’s promise to churches that feel worn down. God is not finished with us. God is not done breathing life into small gatherings, quiet sanctuaries, or weary hearts. Lent invites us to trust that God can bring life where we see only loss, and hope where we see only decline.

This is the heart of the vision:
God brings life where life seems impossible.
God restores what feels too broken to repair.
God breathes into us again when we have run out of breath.

During Lent, we often face dry places in our own lives. We name the things we cannot fix on our own. We acknowledge the valleys we would rather avoid. But the promise of Ezekiel 37 is that God meets us there—not with judgment, but with breath. Not with despair, but with hope. Not with an ending, but with a beginning.

Yes, God says, ”I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live” (v. 14).
That is not just a promise for ancient Israel. It is a promise for every weary heart today.

The valley is not the end of the story.
The breath of God is.

As we reflect on this text, consider these questions for your church and yourself:

1.      Where does your congregation feel like a valley of dry bones?
What areas of church life, connection, or ministry seem lifeless after the pandemic?

2.     How can you invite God’s Word back into the hearts of your members?
What steps can you take to rekindle faith and connection in your community?

3.     In what ways can your congregation offer hope to those who feel isolated or disconnected?
How can you actively reach out to those who have drifted away during this challenging time?

4.    What areas of your life feel like a valley of dry bones?
Are there dreams, relationships, or aspects of your faith that seem lifeless?

5.     How can you invite God’s Word into your struggles?
What steps can you take to trust in God’s promise of renewal and restoration?

6.    In what ways can you be a source of hope for others who feel hopeless?
How can you speak life into the situations of those around you?

During this Lenten season, we are reminded that no situation is beyond God’s ability to restore. Just as he breathed life into the dry bones, he desires to invigorate our congregations and our spirits.

Let us pray...

God of life,
breathe into your church again.
Where we feel discouraged, lift us up.
Where we feel small, remind us that your Spirit is strong.
Where we feel uncertain, guide us with hope.
Fill our congregations with your breath,
so that we may stand in your strength
and serve with renewed joy.
Amen.