Discipling Life

In Ezekiel 34 , the “bad shepherds” are the leaders of Israel, especially kings, officials, and likely religious authorities, who were entrusted with the care of God’s people but instead used their position for their own benefit. Rather than protecting the vulnerable, binding up the injured, or seeking the lost, these leaders exploited the flock for their own gain, “feeding themselves” while leaving the people defenseless and scattered. They completely ignored the weightier matters of justice and mercy that God requires of those entrusted with leadership. It is so easy to see the modern parallels. People running for offices of leadership often make promises they won’t keep. Elected officials seem to be more interested in holding onto power than serving those in their care. This passage begins with God’s promise to do what failing shepherds would not do. “I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak” (v. 16...

This week we have been looking at the scripture texts assigned by the lectionary for this Sunday — the Fifth Sunday of Lent. Ezekiel 37:1–14; Psalm 130; Romans 8:6–11; John 11:1–45 Each of these scriptures points us to the heart of God’s promise: death does not have the final word . Lent leads us through times of emptiness, confession, and longing, but always with the whisper of resurrection waiting ahead. In Ezekiel’s vision, God brings the prophet to a valley full of dry bones. It is a place that once held life but now lies silent and bare. God asks, “Can these bones live?” Only God knows the answer. Then the breath of God moves through the valley, and the bones rattle together, rise, and live again. The Spirit brings life where there was only death. The breath of God brings renewal. What seemed hopeless is restored. Psalm 130 echoes that same cry—from the depths of despair, the psalmist waits for God’s mercy. “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope.” Even...

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 t...