Sermon: “As It Was in the Beginning…", Ezekiel 7:1-12 (& Genesis 2:4-14/Revelation 22:1-5) (June 30, 2024)

Although we don’t usually use them in our liturgy here at Boone, these words that we just sang, first in the Jam Session and then again just now, are one of the oldest prayers in the Christian Church, dating back to at least the 4th century CE. It’s usually called the Gloria Patri (which is Latin for “Glory to the Father”). How many of you have heard it before today? When I was growing up, we sang these words every week in worship, over and over again until they became permanently imprinted on my subconscious. But for some reason, I don’t recall singing it at all in the years since. In fact, I kind of think I forgot all about it. The only reason it resurfaced in my memory at all is because of this passage from Ezekiel.

Liturgy: 6th Sunday After Pentecost, Ezekiel 47:1-12 (June 30, 2024)

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Hymns

Hymn GTG #393, “O Day of Rest and Gladness”
Hymn GTG #580, “Glory Be to the Father”
Hymn GTG #375, “Shall We Gather at the River”
Hymn GTG #484, “Out of Deep Unordered Water”

Sermon: "Speaking in the Spirit", Acts 2:1-8, 12-13/Ezekiel 37:1-10 (May 23, 2021--Pentecost)

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When we think of the story of Pentecost, we usually think of the dramatic visuals: the individual tongues of flame alighting on each person; the confusion of the crowd; the jeering of the unbelievers. When we think of Ezekiel and the “Valley of Dry Bones,” we likewise think of the incredible imagery: the deserted low place full of dry, sun-bleached skeletons; the spectacle of these bones suddenly becoming covered in sinews and flesh and skin; the great earthquake that accompanies this miracle. If you close your eyes, it’s easy to picture these events. They’re two of the most vivid scenes in all of scripture. No wonder we’re drawn to them.

Sermon: “The Runaway Train”, Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32 (September 27, 2020)

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Today’s reading from Ezekiel requires a bit of context to really understand it. Ezekiel was a prophet during the Babylonian exile in the early 6th century BCE. His prophecies primarily consist of explaining what the Israelites have done wrong, telling them what they need to do in order to get out of their predicament, and occasionally reminding them of God’s love (you know, so they don’t feel completely hopeless all the time). Chapter 18 addresses a common concern for the Israelites (and, as we remembered last week, for us, too): fairness. Apparently, God had overheard someone complaining that the exile was punishment for their parents’ sins. From this person’s perspective, God allowed the Babylonians to take over their homeland because the older generation had been faithless. Yet they, the 6th century equivalent of millennials, had taken no part in those sins. So why were they still stuck in exile?