Can These Bones of the Fallen Church Live?

Bombarded with headlines lamenting the declining membership of mainline denominational churches and watching as the hairs on the heads of church goers become more white and bald, many people find themselves in despair over the state of their congregation. Remembering the past times when children abounded in Sunday School classrooms and committees never experienced a lack of people willing to step up and take on projects, people of faith wonder if their churches will become relics of the past.

In the story of valley of dry bones in Ezekiel 37:1-14, the decaying bones of the whole house of Israel, the faith community of the past, lament, "Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely." (Ezekiel 37:11b) That same despairing cry now resounds from too many in the institutional church today. "Our funding streams are dried up, and our hope is lost; we do not have enough people to get by and no one comes to our events and worship services. O, woe is us!"

Not phased by the complaints of the dying and deceased, God asks the prophet Ezekiel, "Mortal, can these bones live?" Looking around at the endless pile of dry and sun-bleached bones under the blazing hot sun in the middle of a valley of death, Ezekiel hesitates a bit before replying, "O Lord God, you know."

From the looks of everything, there appears little hope. Despite all attempts to quickly remedy the presence of decline and death, nothing seems to be working. More members disappear from worship. Families take their children elsewhere. Funerals greatly outnumber all other events. Is there any chance for growth, or at least can the church last until my time comes to an end on this earth? Some of the people trying to carry the large load of responsibilities and expectations of other members of the church start to falter and wonder if the task is too great. Should the fight to prevent the inevitable from occurring come to a stop?

But then the Lord speaks. "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the Word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath into you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the LORD." Death is not the final outcome! God will not let God's people come to an end!

Do we not have a God who can raise the dead? Did God not take on human form as Christ Jesus, die the most agonizing and humiliating death, and then rise on the third day? Is our God not that strong to win the battle against death? By no means!

Instead of lamenting about all the things from the past that are no longer, let us prophesy to the church and boldly shout, "Let the church arise! Let the church breathe in the Spirit of the Lord, the breath of God that blows from the four winds." Let us deeply breathe in the Spirit so that we may rise and live fully. Just as God promised to restore the whole house of Israel, God promises to continue to work in and through the church.

Times are changing, but instead of dwelling on the past that is no more, let us look to the present and the future and see how we can continue to be God's hands and feet for the world. While we can stand upon the traditions and experiences of the past, we are called to new ventures not yet trodden or unknown. The shape of the institutional church may change, but instead of fighting shifts, let us embrace the opportunities that await us.

Our mission has never changed, for we have always been called to love God and love our neighbor through faith in action. Our calling will always remain the same. Let us open ourselves to moving in whatever way the Spirit guides us, even if it takes us outside of our comfort zone and our cherished memories of the past. God is making all things new. We have the choice to decide whether to wither away like dry bones or to be the sinews and flesh of the ever-evolving kingdom of God.

Faith Outside Institutional Walls and Laws

He answered them 'I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?" Then they reviled him saying, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man [Jesus], we do not know where he comes from." The man answered, "Here is an astonishing thing! We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing. 
- John 9:27-33

Having experienced life in the church as both an insider and an outsider, I found last Sunday's Gospel text a joyful reminder and encouragement that discipleship exists both inside and outside the walls of a church or any other institution of faith. Setting aside the debate on sinfulness and disabilities, the ninth chapter of John reminds us what it means to be true followers and believers of Christ Jesus.

Due to his blindness, the unidentified man spent his entire life having to beg for his daily bread. Caught up in theological dogma that labeled him unclean and sinful, this man could not partake in the riches of his family's faith tradition. While his parents immersed themselves in the life of the synagogue, the beggar had to rely on what others taught him about faith and the Scriptures. From his conversations before the Pharisees, he demonstrate a solid grasp on Jewish history and belief.

Growing frustrated by the continued questioning by the leaders of the synagogue, the man asks the Pharisees, "Do you also want to become his disciples?" You can almost hear the gasp in the room as the man born blind shares his amazing faith and love for Jesus.

The previous verses do not provide any indication that Jesus ever specifically identified himself to the man; however, it would not have taken too much to figure out who performed the miracle. While he could not have looked into Jesus' eyes to assess whether or not to trust Jesus when Jesus spoke with him, put mud mixed with saliva on his eyes and told his to go wash and be made clean, there was something that resonated deep within his soul that allowed him to believe and know that he was in the presence of God.

As the formerly blind man continues to engage in dialogue with the Pharisees, he beautifully acknowledges that faith can take place within institutions of faith like synagogues, churches, mosques and temples but that God is also at work outside of the institutions. Faith is not limited to a particular group of people or a particular set of beliefs. Discipleship goes beyond following religious laws and understandings. Discipleship is a life oriented in faith, love and honor for a God that works wonders in the world.

This story of a blind man receiving his sight encourages us to open our own eyes to what God is doing both within and beyond our institutional walls. Those walls offer a place for people to gather to worship and learn about the Lord. Those walls provide a community space to shape and articulate its faith. But those walls do not define the true Church of our Lord Jesus, for the true Church has every door open with people freely coming and going.

As a lifelong believer since I was a young child, I find comfort and grounding in the foundation of faith taught to me within the church. However, some of my greatest moments of growth and discipleship arise when my eyes and ears are opened to God's presence outside the walls of my church, my synod, my denomination. Conversations with people of other religious traditions and even other Lutherans who have different understandings of Scripture allow me to explore what I believe what I do and to better articulate my faith in and understanding of God.

While our comprehension of God will never be complete while we are still here on this earth in our current state, discipleship encourages us to move freely among all of God's people and to look for Jesus showing up in the most unexpected places and moments. Instead of being caught up in strict interpretations and traditions, Jesus frees us to be who we are meant to be and invites us to let others be who they are let to be. We never know on our journey of discipleship when Jesus may open our eyes to help us grow in faith.