“For what you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing. It also depends on what sort of person you are.”

// C. S. Lewis

WELCOME Today’s story of Ezekiel and the Valley of Dry Bones is a parable, a brief story that expresses spiritual truth in a poignant, memorable way. All of life points to death and resurrection, possibly the most visible of all Biblical teachings. So, God asks the desperate question for us, “Can these bones live?

CAFE QUESTIONS

How many bones are in the human body at birth? ³⁰⁰ How many bones are in the human body at death? ²⁰⁶
What makes you feel most alive? Do you have the courage to name what has broken you? Have you ever been scarred or cut deeply? What memory lies deep within the marrow of your bones? What looks and feels dead in your life right now? What is your definition of spiritual death, physical death and eternal death? Would you still follow Jesus if there was no resurrection?

HYMNS & MUSIC

“Antarctic Storms” by Antarctic Wasteland
“Breathe” by the Brilliance
“Only Your Presence” by Josh White

PSALMS @ Psalm 103

PRAYER @ Jeremiah 14:20-22

SCRIPTURE @ Philippians 3:8-11

BACKGROUND @ Ezekiel 1:1

“Now it came to pass… as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.”
// Ezekiel 1:1

NARRATE THE STORY @ Ezekiel 37:1-14

“The Lord took hold of me and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley filled with bones.”
// Ezekiel 37:1

WONDERING QUESTIONS

Why is Ezekiel called the Son of Man? What do the 4 winds mean? Who are the bones in this story? What hope existed in the Old Testament? What are some other Old Testament resurrection stories?

CHARACTERS

Ezekiel: What do we know about Ezekiel? What did Ezekiel see? What might Ezekiel be thinking about these bones? What did Ezekiel hear?

SPIRIT of God: What did we learn about the Spirit of God in this story?

WORD of God: What did we learn about the Word of God in this story?

GOD: What did we learn about GOD in this story?

GOOD NEWS: There must be a possession of Jesus, a relationship, a restoration, a reconciliation or I don’t have life and I’m not really saved.

PAINTING

“One way of trying to understand and appreciate works of art is by means of formal analysis, that is by looking at them not in terms of subject matter or technique but in terms of purely formal concepts; a system within which we can articulate some of our observations regarding art. Heinrich Wölfflin gives us five pairs of concepts in order to understand paintings through formal elements.” http://arthistoryresources.net/baroque-art-theory-2014/wolfflin-renaissance-baroque.html

1. Linear or Painterly: The faces of these students and their diagonal, close proximity to each other show activity and deep interest in the human body.

2. Planar or Recessional: Something psychological is happening here and is easily identifiable as the workmanship of Rembrandt. The teacher’s vertical position shows strength and permanence as opposed to the vertical corpse on the exam table. The composition is then dominated by moving figures leaning at diagonals that recede into depth.

3. Closed Form or Open Form: Vigorous diagonals contrast with the firmly fixed, vertical instructor and the reposed, horizontal corpse. Figures are not simply contained within the frame but are cut off by it at the left side of the painting. The composition is dynamic rather than static; it suggests movement and is full of momentary effects as opposed to the tranquil repose of the cadaver being dissected, ironically his limp arm and hand.

4. Multiplicity and Unity: All of the figures are welded into a single whole. Although the instructor’s hat and lab coat are of a darker value of black than that of his students’, the solemn black color still blends and mingles, and the appearance of their facial expressions and hand positions depend on how the light strikes them.

5. Absolute Clarity and Relative Clarity: More or less self explanatory. The ideal for the subject matter demands absolute clarity, The Anatomy Lecture of Dr. Nicholaes Tulp. It represents the human body as it is. The explicitness of human anatomy is the sole aim. Although Rembrandt’s art piece was completed in 1632, any period of time that the body is dissected would create interest and astonishment.

EVALUATION: Inductivity present? Biblical answers validated? Did we see Jesus? Clear questions? Logical flow of story? Affirmations given? Low participants encouraged? Who did most of the talking ?

EXPRESS

Prayer

“We Need More Than Help” by §§weeney

We need more than help.
We need God in the cool of the day.
A togetherness that existed in the garden.
He is the source of every good thing.
Let his blessings fall fresh on us each day.
We want all the power of Pentecost to turn our world upside down,
and to arouse our dormant energies.
Just like that.

Poem

“God has a Plan
Beyond Babylon
for Those Who Believe” by §§weeney

§lain, disjointed bodies lay 
dismal scene, disconnected souls we seek to save 
symmetry of form and feature
frail frame fainting, gasping 
faces passing, crashing
dead on arrival
"CLEAR"

Rich intensity 
full capacity 
his to impart 
"CHARGE"

Vitalizing energy 
from mind to mind 
and heart to heart 
line harmony__/\_
                   soul synergy                                            
rhythm remedy 
in his wings

He begins the battle                                                                                      breathing pleas for our forgiveness
can I get a witness?

Jesus died gave up his spirit 
Jesus alive gives us his spirit 
stand upright given breath of life

Condition guarded, just as though 
a universal donor 
to freely enthrone her 
whoa, behold 
vast army in the valley 
open heart in operation 
quicken and awaken 
deep investigation 

Cold captive hold tight
he's bleeding out
beyond the brow of battle blight
 
O, dry bones
hear the word of the Lord
"Dead arise, my people" spoken
eyes wide open, eyes wide open
prized, purchased, possession, please, perform and prove it
transfuse me with your seal of peace
cause the evil beast to cease
"I GOT A PULSE"

"It is finished" time at hand
certainly this was a righteous man
displaced clan await the promised land

God has a plan 
beyond Babylon 
for those who believe
each life made new 
an accomplished fact
fastened faith forever sure
blessed is he 
who comes in the name of the Lord.