[RCL] Ezekiel 37:1-14; Psalm 130; Romans 8:6-11; John 11:1-45 Ezekiel 37:1-14 In addition to its inclusion in the fifth Sunday of Lent, this well-known passage also serves as one of the suggested readings for the Great Vigil of Easter. Hearing it, then, may conjure memories of a darkened room, lit only by candlelight, and filled…

Ezekiel 37:1-14 The prophet Ezekiel writes to a community in exile—a community devastated by disconnection from their places and people of origin. Ezekiel describes a site that would seem familiar to his listeners: a valley of dry bones. This image evokes despair through its desolate landscape, which would not have been simply metaphoric to the…

Ezekiel 37:1-14 In this passage from Ezekiel the use of imagery of bodily resurrection explains the genesis of God’s reconciliatory process for the restoration of the exiled community. The prophet echoes the creation imagery in the narrative, the re-ordering of life as evident in the wordplay – Hebrew “ruah” for breath or wind – which…

Ezekiel 37:1-14 This is the third of four vision narratives in Ezekiel introduced by the phrase “the hand of the Lord came upon me” (37:1 NRSV). As in our psalm today, location matters. This vision takes place within the context of the exile, and we are offered the image of the prophet led by the…