Utterly Astonishing--April 20, 2017

[From April 28, 2011 archive]

Lord Jesus, you are our salvation; and you would daily bear us up;

but too often we feel cut off from you, too quickly lose hope.

Open the graves we have dug ourselves into, revive us;

then send us out to bear fruit, fruit that will last.

It is utterly astonishing what can happen

when your Spirit fills our dry bones.

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 47; 147:12-20; 68; 113

Ezek. 37:1-14

Acts 3:11-26

John 15:12-27

Selected Verses

Ps. 68:19

Blessed be the Lord,
            who daily bears us up;
            God is our salvation.      

Ezek. 37:11-12

Then [the LORD] said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel.  They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’  Therefore prophesy, and say to them, 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.  …”

Acts 3:11

While [the man who had been lame from birth] clung to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s Portico, utterly astonished.

John 15:16b

“…And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.  …”  [Jesus to his disciples]