Most Thursday nights, I gather around the table with our small group.
These small groups have become vital in our church as we experience significant growth.
Because many people are very new, they don’t know a lot of the background of the church.
This is the story I would tell them about why their seat at the table is so important.
We aren’t here by accident, at this table – none of us are.
And I hope this helps us all understand that going to church cannot be just another thing we do each week.
It is a sacred privilege that we almost missed out on.

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Sunday’s Coming!

Somewhere, a lone organ plays just the melody of “Amazing Grace”.

I am alone with my memories.

I walk the grounds, wondering, “How could this possibly be?”

It’s an old-time church – the oldest of the pictures, ingrained in my mind, plays on the movie reel that you can see.

Two ladies, a vision for the children, and their Jesus.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

 

Towns build up, children find Jesus.

Children bring their families, and over time, the children become parents who bring their own children.

A time of growth, the old pictures passing through my mind and replaying on the reel of film, as the organ plays on.

Salvations, baptisms, a real time of growth.

T’was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

 

And then, thunder. Storm clouds roll in and rain floods the ground.

The organ is faint, you can barely hear it over the thunder.

The clouds of darkness cover the corner.

The sky rumbles, the ground trembles – the pictures scrolling through the background show the cracks that have formed in hearts.

The message of Jesus is threatened.

What once was full and vibrant, booming with love and laughter, is now just an empty shell.

Empty. For the whole week.

Friday.

Friday comes, and with it, the wondering, the questioning:

Will you be there?
Will I? Will anyone?
Should I be there?

It’s Friday.

Saturday.

Saturday dawns, full of hope. And fear. And still, questions.

Sunday’s coming.

Sunday.

The movie reel shows a warm, summer Sunday.

It’s church time. A lone bell tolls, announcing church.

The sky is blue, the parking lot sits empty. And still, the organ plays on.

The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” –Ezekiel 37:1-3

The doors open, feet step in.

A peek inside shows four rows occupied. Just four rows. Four rows out of the entire sanctuary.

The church, once full, sits almost empty.

While it is Sunday, those of us on the inside are waiting for our spiritual Sunday – when we can be refreshed, when wounds are not so raw, when the hurt has started to heal.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
‘Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.

 

Weeks come and go, the movie reel shows scene after scene of rebuilding, fortifying, entering into the unknown with courage.

The organ plays a little more boldly – less tentatively. We feel less tentative, we have more faith.

Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon 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.”

So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. –Ezekiel 37:4-8

Healing, health, wholeness.

Refreshing, rebirth, a fresh wind.

Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. –Ezekiel 37:9-10

Life into dry bones.

Salvation, baptism, holiness, change.

New hearts, new lives, REBIRTH.

Saturday – our spiritual Saturday. Eagerness, excitement, anticipation!

The organ plays, more fully now. Can you hear it?

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

 

Sunday – it’s coming. A new day. The storm clouds have cleared, the sky is bright, but the Earth is not dry.

The ground is wet. The flowers bloom after the springtime rain.

The movie reel flickers to an end and here we are today.

The parking lot is full, the sound of love and laughter fill the grounds once more.

What was once an almost-empty, lonely room with just 4 rows filled, is now standing room only.

I walk around, wondering, “How could this possibly be?”

They are coming off the street, they can hear the music, they know who is here. And once inside, they learn Who is here.

You see, we endured our Friday.

We had our Friday. We had our dry spell. We were dry bones, with barely a breath of life left inside us.

On Friday.

And we mourned on Saturday.

And now?

Now it’s Sunday.

It’s our Sunday.

It’s God’s Sunday – hallelujah!

 

Can you feel the swell in the music? Can you hear the singing?

It’s Easter! New life, resurrection!

The seats are full, the worship extends into the parking lot, out to the corner, and into the neighborhoods.

Today may be just any Sunday, but every Sunday can be our Easter Sunday.

Sunday!

 

He rose!
He brought us back to life!
He breathed new life into the dry bones!

He brought us from our Friday where we were scared and alone.

He took us through the mourning of our Saturday.

And He brought us to Sunday.

Sunday – HALLELUJAH!

 

Sing along, because I know you hear the music -

When we’ve been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’ve first begun.

 

“Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.” –Ezekiel 37:12-14

 

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