Daily Scripture: Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, in the likeness of ourselves; and let them rule over the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the animals, and over all the earth, and over every crawling creature that crawls on the earth.”
Genesis 1:27 So God created humankind in his own image;
in the image of God he created him:
male and female he created them.
Exodus 35:(RY: ii, LY: iii) 30 Moshe said to the people of Isra’el, “See, Adonai has singled out B’tzal’el the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Y’hudah. 31 He has filled him with the Spirit of God — with wisdom, understanding and knowledge concerning every kind of artisanry. 32 He is a master of design in gold, silver, bronze, 33 cutting precious stones to be set, woodcarving and every other craft. 34 [Adonai] has also given him and Oholi’av the son of Achisamakh, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. 35 He has filled them with the skill needed for every kind of work, whether done by an artisan, a designer, an embroiderer using blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen, or a weaver — they have the skill for every kind of work and design.
Ezekiel 37:1 With the hand of Adonai upon me, Adonai carried me out by his Spirit and set me down in the middle of the valley, and it was full of bones. 2 He had me pass by all around them — there were so many bones lying in the valley, and they were so dry! 3 He asked me, “Human being, can these bones live?” I answered, “Adonai Elohim! Only you know that!” 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones! Say to them, ‘Dry bones! Hear what Adonai has to say! 5 To these bones Adonai Elohim says, “I will make breath enter you, and you will live. 6 I will attach ligaments to you, make flesh grow on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you. You will live, and you will know that I am Adonai.”’”
7 So I prophesied as ordered; and while I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound; it was the bones coming together, each bone in its proper place. 8 As I watched, ligaments grew on them, flesh appeared and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them. 9 Next he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath! Prophesy, human being! Say to the breath that Adonai Elohim says, ‘Come from the four winds, breath; and breathe on these slain, so that they can live.’”
10 So I prophesied as ordered, and the breath came into them, and they were alive! They stood up on their feet, a huge army! 11 Then he said to me, “Human being! These bones are the whole house of Isra’el; and they are saying, ‘Our bones have dried up, our hope is gone, and we are completely cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy; say to them that Adonai Elohim says, ‘My people! I will open your graves and make you get up out of your graves, and I will bring you into the land of Isra’el. 13 Then you will know that I am Adonai — when I have opened your graves and made you get up out of your graves, my people! 14 I will put my Spirit in you; and you will be alive. Then I will place you in your own land; and you will know that I, Adonai, have spoken, and that I have done it,’ says Adonai.”
Reflection Questions:
Long before anyone knew the word “Trinity,” Genesis 1’s poetic creation liturgy said the one God existed as “us.” Exodus anticipated the New Testament’s teaching about the Holy Spirit’s role in gifting God’s people for service (cf. 1 Corinthians 12). Ezekiel’s famous “dry bones” vision wasn’t actually as much about bones as it was about God’s power, through the divine “breath” or “spirit” (more on that tomorrow), to bring life even to hopeless exiled Israel.
- We struggle to grasp the Christian belief that the one God exists as three “persons” (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). Mathematics says “the whole is equal to the sum of its parts,” so each “part” is less than “the whole.” Yet Genesis showed the one God speaking of himself as “us”! Pastor John Ortberg observed, “Difficult or not, the idea of the Trinity turns out to be vitally important because it tells us that God himself has been experiencing community throughout eternity. Community is rooted in the being of God.” How open are you to living in community with God and with those who are God’s children?
- Ezekiel, speaking to Israelites in exile with their nation destroyed and helpless, said through a dramatic, visionary image that God offers hope even when we can see none. When have you seen God renew life in a person, relationship or situation that seemed beyond hope? With whom can you share the news of God’s life-giving hope?
Come, Holy Spirit! I ask you to pour the love of God into my heart. Oh, how I need that life-giving, purpose-giving love! Amen.
Insights from Donna Karlen
Donna Karlen serves in Communications at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection.
“The Lord God proclaims: I will put my breath in you and you will live.”
For me, the journey of discovering the Holy Spirit began with singing the Gloria Patri in church: “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost.” It wasn’t a great beginning. Ghosts were scary beings haunting people in those horror movies I couldn’t stand, or they were kids dressed up for Halloween (my own ghost costume experience in 4th grade consisted of the sheet getting twisted around so the eye holes ended up somewhere over an ear, which was closely followed by me running smack into the gym wall during the costume parade – yeah, wasn’t a fan of anything labeled ‘ghost’ back then).
But fortunately, the spirit moved me beyond that particular embarrassing episode in my life, and I next remember discussing the concept of the Holy Spirit as part of the Trinity. My Sunday school teacher invited us to see the Trinity like an apple with three parts: the skin, the tasty fruity stuff and the seeds – but as still one apple. That concept broke down a little when our discussion migrated to who was represented by each part. “The skin surrounds the apple like the Holy Spirit surrounds us… God should be the seeds because you can’t get the apples unless the seeds are planted, and God was first… But we spit out the seeds and I don’t want to spit out God…” It was a lively, “spirited” debate, but perhaps the teacher tried a different analogy with her next class.
My next Holy Spirit lesson? “The Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
Of course my path to discovering the Holy Spirit in my life has been marked by many inspiring scripture passages such as Romans 8:26-27: Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.(Love that last part!)
And one of my favorite hymns, The Spirit Song:
O let the Son of God enfold you
With His Spirit and His love
Let Him fill your heart and satisfy your soul
O let Him have the things that hold you
And His Spirit like a dove
Will descend upon your life and make you whole
© 1979 Mercy/Vineyard Publishing
I have traveled far on my journey with the Holy Spirit – from fearful apparition to guiding, comforting, filling presence in my life. And everyday I want to open up myself to this breath of God that comes in sighs too deep for words – breath to make me live!
What’s your Holy Spirit journey?
Download the GPS App
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
“The Lord God proclaims: I will put my breath in you and you will live.”
For me, the journey of discovering the Holy Spirit began with singing the Gloria Patri in church: “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost.” It wasn’t a great beginning. Ghosts were scary beings haunting people in those horror movies I couldn’t stand, or they were kids dressed up for Halloween (my own ghost costume experience in 4th grade consisted of the sheet getting twisted around so the eye holes ended up somewhere over an ear, which was closely followed by me running smack into the gym wall during the costume parade – yeah, wasn’t a fan of anything labeled ‘ghost’ back then).
But fortunately, the spirit moved me beyond that particular embarrassing episode in my life, and I next remember discussing the concept of the Holy Spirit as part of the Trinity. My Sunday school teacher invited us to see the Trinity like an apple with three parts: the skin, the tasty fruity stuff and the seeds – but as still one apple. That concept broke down a little when our discussion migrated to who was represented by each part. “The skin surrounds the apple like the Holy Spirit surrounds us… God should be the seeds because you can’t get the apples unless the seeds are planted, and God was first… But we spit out the seeds and I don’t want to spit out God…” It was a lively, “spirited” debate, but perhaps the teacher tried a different analogy with her next class.
My next Holy Spirit lesson? “The Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
Of course my path to discovering the Holy Spirit in my life has been marked by many inspiring scripture passages such as Romans 8:26-27: Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.(Love that last part!)
And one of my favorite hymns, The Spirit Song:
O let the Son of God enfold you
With His Spirit and His love
Let Him fill your heart and satisfy your soul
O let Him have the things that hold you
And His Spirit like a dove
Will descend upon your life and make you whole
© 1979 Mercy/Vineyard Publishing
I have traveled far on my journey with the Holy Spirit – from fearful apparition to guiding, comforting, filling presence in my life. And everyday I want to open up myself to this breath of God that comes in sighs too deep for words – breath to make me live!
What’s your Holy Spirit journey?
Download the GPS App
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224 United States
913.897.0120
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