Dry Bones

 

5 Lent, March 22, 2026               Dry Bones                        The Rev. Nancy E. Gossling

In her article entitled “Dry Bones Don’t Resurrect Themselves” Erica MacCreaigh asks the question “Can these bones live?” She asks us, the readers, “Has your life ever been so disrupted that you found yourself asking that question? All of us who have passed through—or still inhabit—the valley of the shadows of abuse, addiction, displacement, divorce, financial catastrophe, chronic illness, terminal illness, mental illness, or death know what cataclysmic disruption looks like. We spend our days in survival mode. If we can find the energy to hope, we look forward to a day when we will be through the worst of it and feel like we can stand up and breathe on our own again.” (Xian Century, March 2026 issue published on March 16, 2026).

Sadly, I can relate. Perhaps you can too, especially if you’re living in parts of our world that are under siege, in one way or another. And then, like ticks on a dog, the challenges attach themselves, piling on, one after another, until you join the chorus of voices crying out, “Enough!” We are sick of being sick! The suffering of people living in war torn countries breaks our bleeding hearts. Stop!

I recall being challenged by a woman in a support group for rape survivors that I was facilitating many years ago. If I hadn’t suffered like they had, how could I relate or even help them, she had asked me. My co-facilitator quickly responded before I could. “Pain is pain.” And we can all relate to pain in one way or another, she claimed.

So pain is pain but there are levels to our suffering. When they march into your life like boots on the ground, or start dropping bad news on you like a fleet of B52 bombers, the pain becomes magnified and seemingly intolerable. Sucked dry, our bodies feel dessicated. Walking is laborious, as if it's a process of dry bone rubbing against dry bone. Endless sleeping is a temptation, until violent dreams invade our peace. And then when we awake, we look for anything that might numb the pain.

What’s a person to do in times like these? Perhaps we turn to our church and find little comfort there. Platitudes ring hollow. Calls for justice echo in the chambers. Empty pews remind us that the bell tolls for all of us, and who needs that reminder in times like these? So we look for signs of hope in creation, little buds of daffodils pushing through the dirt like the picture of Lazarus coming out of the tomb.

Dry bones don’t resurrect themselves, Erica MacCreaigh wrote; and yet on some levels, we do. Resurrection power comes in small numbers like you and me when we offer each other a moment of respite, a collegial conversation, a time for commiseration. We vent and complain about our situation with others. We know we’re not alone. We acknowledge that the pain is real and the end is nowhere in sight.

And yet, this resurrection power is also not human, nor material. It takes a force greater and more powerful than me or you or us together to restore life. It takes a force greater than the most powerful armed forces in the world. It is a Spiritual force, capital “S” Spiritual power, that brings eternal and everlasting life to all of God’s creation. Forever.

Such a Force defies explanation but offers us hope. And so we pray, “Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.” (Collect for the Day)

Ezekiel, one of the three great prophets living in the land of Israel, during the time when foreign countries were invading them, knew what it was like to live under oppression and occupation. It was like living in the valley of death, with dry bones all around him. In despair, he dreamed of escape. In despair, he asked God for help. Isolated, he too wondered if their dry bones could ever live.

“When the writer of Ezekiel asks, “Can these bones live?” he is asking about the fate of the Jewish people. He uses dry bones as a metaphor for the anguish of a people who have suffered the horrors of siege warfare and exile. Dry bones represent national hopes crushed, religious faith shattered, social ties severed, economy in collapse, and homes scorched and deserted.” (Erica MacCreaigh, Xian Century)

And God answered, “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 in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.” No, dry bones do not resurrect themselves. But God’s Spirit will.

When Jesus called Lazarus out of that tomb, it wasn’t a matter of resurrection. No, it was a temporary matter of resuscitation. It was like the young man who died from a head injury and met Jesus in heaven. According to him, after 30 minutes of death, he returned to earth as himself. Yes, he had a foretaste of heaven, he claims, but his earthly life was not yet over. Yes, the spirits of the people who physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually cared for him while he was in the hospital were instrumental to his recovery and resuscitation, but not in his resurrection. That power belongs to God alone.

Most, if not all people, will have moments of despair during their lifetimes. Like the psalmist, we will cry to God or anyone who has ears to listen, “Out of the depths have I called to you, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice; let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.” (Psalm 130)  We will pray for relief, for an end to the suffering. We will beg for our flesh to be renewed, adding new layers of healthy skin to our dry, old bones. Like watchmen in the morning, we will “wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him; in his word is my hope. My soul waits for the Lord, more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.” (Psalm 130)

So, like Martha, we eventually come to realize, perhaps, that Jesus is the resurrection and the life, the promise of God where true joys can be found. We are assured by St. Paul’s letter to the Romans that “To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” Even when death and dry bones and suffering and despair invade our lives, we can lift our minds and hearts to the heavens, trusting in the power of God’s Spirit to raise us to new life and peace.

On Ash Wednesday, the day that kicks off our Lenten season, Brother Lucas wrote, “Blessedness isn’t just nice; it’s the stuff of death, and life.” (Lucas Hall, SSJE, Ash Wednesday 2026)  Now as we look forward to Palm Sunday, Holy Week, and Easter, we can remember that our blessedness involves both death and new life. There is pain and suffering before the good news of the Resurrection.

“Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act,” says the Lord.” (Ezekiel 37:1-14)

Indeed, we are blessed by God’s Power, and in that, I have hope.

 Ezekiel 37:1-14    Romans 8:6-11    John 11:1-45    Psalm 130

 

 

 

 

         

 

 

 

 

Super Bowl Sunday 4 H's

 

Epiphany 5   January 8, 2026                                   The Rev. Nancy E. Gossling

History, Hero, Heartbreak, and Hope 

“When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:1-12) 

The coach of the New England Patriots, Mike Vrabel, had reorganized the team, its coaches, and the staff soon after he had been hired as their new head coach. But before he “laid down” a bunch of plays for them to learn, he wanted his team to build some trust among them. He wanted them to learn personal knowledge about each other. Not easily done with highly competitive and, dare I say, young men! Who needs any of this “touchy-feely” stuff when you’re playing in what has become an increasingly violent sport?

So, the trust building began with a few activities, not the tried and true stand in the middle of a circle and fall backwards, trusting that your colleagues will catch you. No, his trust activity was based upon the T.V. show called Survivor. Pairs of teammates had to navigate a course on their field, one of them blindfolded while listening to their seeing teammate guide them through it. Jump here, turn right there, go left, listen to my instructions carefully.

Then Vrabel took trust building to another level. He had his team members share their 4 H’s with their teammates: history, hero, heartbreak, and hope. Standing in front of their teammates and sharing their 4 H’s, they exposed themselves. No shoulder pads, no helmets, no audibles from their quarterback, only them, standing alone and vulnerable in front of a group of men known for their toughness.

 So individually, each person shared their 4 H’s: history, hero, heartbreak, and hope. Now I’m not a 20 something young man playing in a highly competitive sport but I do have some history that I would prefer not to share. As a human being, I have had a checkered past. As a Christian, my faith journey has involved many ups and downs, some detours and doubts. Blind, often needing amazing grace, I had to trust in Someone who could see my way forward and guide me along the right pathways.

And how about those teammates of mine? I’ve been bullied and betrayed, enduring some end-runs and tackles I didn’t see coming, in various professions and relationships. At times of self-preservation and protection, not wanting to be vulnerable, I’ve hidden myself from others. If I truly shared what I thought and felt then I opened myself to all sorts of negative responses. Moral finger-wagging and virtual signaling silenced me. And then, more often than not, I found some deep and abiding friends for life. BFF’s.

“When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God,” wrote St. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians. These were his words that came after his years of inciting violence, encouraging murder, and spewing hate-filled speech, indeed even arrogant proclamations about his righteousness. In the name of God no less!

I have often looked for a hero to help me. Turning first to human beings, I became careful about my choices and how much I might reveal. I’ve also come to realize that playing “hero ball” is a failure on my part. Going it alone is not a wise decision. If I don’t find some teammates to share the journey with me, I’m the poorer for it. Knowing that there can be a variety of gifts, but the same Spirit, I try to keep my mind open to various perspectives. If we’re only carbon copies of the other, then who needs the other? Carefully, after a time of retreat and sitting on the bench, I step back onto the playing field.

Heartbreak comes early and often in our human lives. There is no avoiding it, as much as we might try. Having moved frequently as a child because of my father’s occupation, I would be hesitant with friendships. My teammates often changed. And yet, I learned that even when you stay in one place, other people leave. So teammates come and go; they are injured or die, and heartbreaks are common. So too are lasting friendships around the world.

While the Patriots’ teammates had various responses to their history, heroes, and heartbreaks, there were some common and frequent responses. Heroes often included their parents or siblings and the heartbreaks that they mentioned were when their parents died. When asked about hope, more often than not, they cited their desire to play in the Super Bowl.

Coach Vrabel, upon winning the Eastern Conference Title that ensured their place in the Super Bowl, reminded his players that sometimes there are things you can’t see but still can believe. At the beginning of their season, it was inconceivable that this team would play in the Super Bowl. And yet, they could hope and believe that all things are possible. And so it came to pass! Today, win or lose, their hope was realized.

If we lose hope, we lose everything; we’ve lost the game. Maybe even our life. Perhaps too often we overly rely upon human wisdom rather than God. As St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish. But we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” History often reveals our mistakes; maybe it shows us a new way forward.

So for me, Super Bowl Sunday is today; and I hope the New England Patriots win! Super Bowl Sunday is also every Sunday; for it is the day of Resurrection. It is when our history and heartbreak were revealed in the death of Jesus on Good Friday; and yet my hero, who is Jesus, revealed a hope three days later. It is a hope that can never be seen now, but only fully realized in the life hereafter. On that day, we all become winners.

When her 84 year old mother was abducted from her home this week, Savannah Guthrie, an NBC co-anchor on the Today Show, wrote on her Instagram, "We believe in prayer. We believe in voices raised in unison, in love, in hope. We believe in goodness. We believe in humanity. Above all, we believe in Him. Please pray. 'He will keep in perfect peace those whose hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.' A verse from the prophet Isaiah for all time and for all of us," Savannah wrote.

Until then, listen to Jesus and follow his guidance; for He once called us his teammates. “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

Be vulnerable and share your history, heroes, heartbreaks and hope with your teammates. Trust in the Lord, who will guide us eventually into the endzone.

 

1 Corinthians 2:1-12, [13-16]               Matthew 5:13-20

 

Epiphany 2026

                                                      The Rev. Nancy E. Gossling

 

“Give the King your justice, O God, *and your righteousness to the King's Son” (Psalm 72:1)

“When King Herod heard this, he was frightened.” (Matthew 2:3)

“I couldn’t help feeling a bit smug when, in preparation for this column, I meditated on Herod’s fright over news of a birth. Because (I reasoned) why on earth would a figure with this much power be so very undone by a report from some wandering astrologers that the king of the Jews had been born unless on some level Herod knew that the unadulterated goodness and love embodied by this child would mark the end of reigns such as his own?”

“Do not (I went on to ask myself) all those who wield power abusively carry in their bones the fearful understanding that it is not worldly might that will ultimately overtake them, but that which seems, at first glance, vulnerable and weak? And isn’t this (I concluded triumphantly) what Jesus is all about?”

“Well, no. There are two problems with my line of thinking. First, an argument proceeding from smug triumphalism is already rotten at its core. Second, I don’t think it is primarily fear that Herod feels. Yes, the NRSVue uses the word frightened to describe Herod’s state, but other major translations go with disturbed (NIV) or troubled (KJV, NASB)—choices that make sense because the Greek verbal root used here denotes emotional or physical agitation.” (Mindy Misener , a former teacher of college writing, is a student at Yale Divinity School. Christian Century, January 2026)

I don’t know. What makes rulers want to hold onto their power at all costs? What makes rulers afraid, troubled, and disturbed? And are we splitting hairs between the three descriptive words?

Now King Herod has often been described as the archetype of a bad king, and “the rule of kings demands the necessity of a constant check against the arrogance of such individual power.” (ibid.) “No kings,” some protesters in the United States cry in response to our own president’s actions; but that also begs some other questions: Is he really a king? What exactly constitutes a king’s authority? And are all kings bad?

While our country was founded on a violent revolt against this kind of rule, there are kings throughout the world who also appear to be “good.” Nicolas Maduro, recently arrested and indicted for narco-terrorism and being a “president of questionable authority" was considered a “bad king.” What makes for a bad king? Or ruler? Or president? Or any kind of leader?

Venezuela had most recently been ruled by two presidents (Chavez and Maduro) who had promised their people equality and prosperity. In over twenty five years they had systematically reduced their 3rd most prosperous nation to one of the poorest. Benefiting only themselves with their individual power and a cabal of willing servants, they amassed riches for themselves…. from the drug cartels they enabled and supported. They seemed to have no concern for the thousands, indeed millions, of people who suffered or died from these drugs. No wonder Maduro was wanted for trials around the world.

Silently, publicly, peacefully, and violently people will protest when they feel powerless. The people in Venezuela protested for years, but to no avail. More often than not they were imprisoned or murdered. From the streets in Iran to the streets in Minneapolis, from Venezuela to Oregon people are protesting and people are dying. In reality, the dignities of human beings on both sides of the picket lines are violated. Shame on all of us when we disrespect anyone’s dignity, arrestees and arrestors alike. Chaos and darkness reign in times like these.

 Yes, thoughts of losing one’s power can be frightening, troubling, and disturbing! Who among us wants to be powerless? Unless, as people in twelve step communities will claim, recognizing their powerlessness over substances that can kill them and people who may harm is a good first step. Was this what God had in God’s mind and heart when God became human flesh in the person of Jesus?

I’m not a lawyer and quite frankly I find legal arguments to be exhausting. Mental games confuse me. Give me time and space to talk about spiritual and psychological reasoning and I’m happy to indulge. Which brings me back to the celebration of the Epiphany. It was a moment in time, according to our scripture stories, when the three kings appeared at the manger scene in Bethlehem. Supposedly, their minds and hearts were in alignment with God’s.

Following a star, and traveling west from the east, they did their due diligence by checking in with King Herod in Jerusalem. This “bad king”, however, made promises that strained their credulity. “When you find this new king, let me know so that I can worship him,” King Herod said to the sages. Really? Herod would turn over all the power and benefits that he had rightly and wrongly accrued over the years willingly and without protest because he wanted to worship this new king? Instead he slaughtered innocent children in an effort to kill Jesus.

Wise people pay attention to not only the consequences of  their physical, legal, and mental behaviors but also to the psychological and spiritual messages that are conveyed. Warned in a dream not to return to Jerusalem, the three kings decided not to re-visit King Herod, but took another route home. The journey back east may have taken them longer but they believed that such a “course correction" was a faithful response to a divine message. Similarly, Mary and Joseph headed south to Egypt rather than returning home. Is it time for some people’s course corrections?

Apparently the people of Venezuela, who had fled their own country, were dancing in the streets of Miami when they heard of Maduro’s arrest. One man described the journey as one in which he could see the light at the end of the tunnel. It will take years for the reparation and restoration of his beloved homeland, he claimed, but at least now there was hope.

No one will deny that darkness and chaos has covered their land and their people for years. But, as they say, it is only in the dark of night that one can see the true star gleaming. This true star guides our ways forward while remaining out of the reach of human hands that seek their own power. This north star has a moral compass that does not waver. It points to the promise and power of God that rules over all creation, preserves the dignity of all God’s beloved children, even while sacrificing its own vulnerability. Ruling with both justice and mercy, this king of kings, lord of lords, stood up to all the bad actors and evil in the world, and ultimately endured even his own death.

I guess, triumphalism be damned, the unadulterated goodness and love embodied by this child, and revealed by his life, death, and resurrection can offer hope to a world teetering on the brink of chaos and darkness. Especially when one feels powerless.