Then the LORD said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to these bones . . . .  So I spoke this message, and as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons. Ezekiel 37. 4-7

The story of the Spirit of God leading Ezekiel out into the valley of dry bones is one of my favorites.  It is a mystical story in which a valley of dry bones is transformed into an army of living, breathing people.  What is interesting to me about this story is that it is only after Ezekiel speaks to the bones that they come together as skeletons and then as human beings. 

I have spent this past week reading a letter from one of my colleague who spent the last two days at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University with fifty other pastors from around the state and nation.  They have been training to prepare to be mentor pastors for student interns.  Part of our training was to write a paper from their pastoral experience and then spend time processing that paper within a small group. 

Each of them told stories about events in their churches where they had encountered dry bones.  With the greatest care and confidentiality, they told about dry places in their ministry: encounters they had with parishioners, struggles within their churches, challenges that left of them empty.  After each session, the supervising faculty leader asked them to speak words of redemption and resurrection to each other.  I think this is how God brings us back to life.  God invites us to speak words of life and light, hope and promise to each other, to remind each other of God’s presence, grace and unconditional love.

But there is something more, after Ezekiel spoke, the Spirit of the Lord breathed life back into the restored bodies.  I think God invites you and me to speak life to others so that the very Spirit of God can inhabit the lives of those to whom we speak.

This Sunday as we await the coming of the Holy Spirit to the church at Pentecost, won’t you join me in speaking God’s words of hope and promise to those who need it most?  Who knows perhaps in the speaking you and I will discover that God’s Holy Spirit has given us new life as well.

Holy One, speak to me that I may speak.  Amen.

Aloha ‘oukou,

Kahu Richard Kamanu,

Kahu Mua (Senior Pastor)

To contact us:

Phone: 808-845-0908

Fax: 808-843-0711

Kaumakapili Church

766 N. King Street

Honolulu, Hawaii 96817