Readings for:
Monday, September 16: Daniel 4 – 6

Oh them lions they can eat my body
But they can’t (SLINKY!) swallow my soul [no no no]
They keep on trying to crash my party
But they can’t (SLINKY!) get control [no no]
No way, baby, uh-uh [no, no no]

You probably don’t recognize those words, do you? I didn’t expect that you would. They are the words to the chorus/refrain to “Lions” by Lost and Found, an alternative Christian Band that used to tour in the midwest when I was in college. I can’t help but sing when I read the story of Daniel in the Lion’s Den. “Oh them lions, they can eat my body, but they can’t swallow my soul.” I wonder if Daniel thought the same as he was placed in the Lions Den. Confident in his faith, whether he lived or whether he died, he know that he was in the hands of God! God then used Daniel’s faith to move the faith of others, as he was found alive the next morning. What a proclamation of faith! “Oh them lions, they can eat my body, but they can’t swallow my soul.”

Peace
Pastor Bailey

Readings for the next few days:
Tuesday, September 17: Daniel 7 – 9
Wednesday, September 18: Daniel 10 – 12
Thursday, September 19: Hosea 1 – 7
Friday, September 20: Hosea 8 – 14

Readings for the next few days: 
Sunday, September 15: Daniel 1 – 3

What a breath of fresh air after reading Jeremiah and Ezekiel! Finally some light hearted, engaging, joyous reading. Daniel is indeed a welcome change for all of us who have been reading along.

So some of the basic . . . Daniel and his three friends are all to be appointed as aids to the king while living in Exile in Babylon. They are all given new names. Names that we probably recognize as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Here’s a little bit of an oddity about me, I always wanted three dogs and you could guess their names . . . Imagine stepping out on the back porch calling out. ” Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego!” Well after two dogs, “Grover” and “Louie” I can promise three will never happen!

Anyways, as you read, did you see the parallels to the story of Joseph, way back in Genesis? Daniel is in prison (Exiled at least from his home land). The King is dreaming and no one can interpret his dreams. Amazingly God places Daniel in the right place to interpret the dream, and his is promoted to a pretty high place. Along with Daniel’s friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Sounds like Joseph, in prison, interpret’s Pharoah’s dreams, is promoted, and provides rescue for his family as they relocate to Egypt. How about that, history does repeat itself!

Then, just as the Israelites were enslaved by Pharaoh, those in Exile are about to be forced to worship a false god (one of many things they got put in Exile for in the first place.) What are we to do? What are we to do when we hear the “sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music?” Fall down and worship. No! Instead be faithful and dance in the fiery furnace. What a great reminder of God’s powerful presence with us!

Rejoicing that we have been saved from our own fiery furnace, in the words/song of Lee Ann Womack, “I hope you dance!”

Peace,
Pastor Bailey

Readings for the next few days:
Monday, September 16: Daniel 4 – 6
Tuesday, September 17: Daniel 7 – 9
Wednesday, September 18: Daniel 10 – 12
Thursday, September 19: Hosea 1 – 7

Readings for: 
Thursday, September 12: Ezekiel 40 – 42
Friday, September 13: Ezekiel 43 – 45
Saturday, September 14: Ezekiel 46 – 48

We close out the Book of Ezekiel with a grand and great vision of the temple, which is measured not in cubits but with a “measuring reed” (NRSV) or “measuring rod” (NIV). Either way this reed/rod is six “long” cubits long (adding an extra hand to each cubit), and was regarded as the way to measure the vastness of the new temple complex. Simply said, this place was huge!

There were inner gates, outer gates, courtyards, kitchens, dinning spaces, a river that flowed through it, an altar for sacrifice, space for the priest, and on the list could go. This temple was nearly a city in itself, although the holy city was built farther off.

Now keep in mind, as great and grand as this temple may seem, as Ezekiel had his vision, this was not the temple to replace the Temple that had recently fallen during the time of Exile. In fact this temple has never been built. Many look at this with parallels found in Revelation and the river of life that flows forth from the thrown of God. While detailed in the description, many think the visions of Ezekiel are still yet to come, on that day when the people of God will be fully restored. When? One cannot say. The only thing we can say with certainty is that there will be a time when all people will be gathered together on that great and glorious day!

For fun, do a quick internet search on “Ezekiel’s Temple” and check out the variety of artistic interpretations that are made, and imagine gathering there for worship. Wow would that be a humbling experience!

Peace,
Pastor Bailey

Readings for the next few days: 
Sunday, September 15: Daniel 1 – 3
Monday, September 16: Daniel 4 – 6
Tuesday, September 17: Daniel 7 – 9
Wednesday, September 18: Daniel 10 – 12

Readings for: 
Tuesday, September 10: Ezekiel 34 – 36
Wednesday, September 11: Ezekiel 37 – 39

In our recent readings we get a little bit of love, and a little bit of fun!

Some love . . .
Chapter 34 turns our attention to the image of a shepherd. I hope that when you hear that, your recall to Jesus’ bold words, “I am the Good Shepherd.” What a comforting and loving image for us as Christians. Here in Ezekiel, God is the shepherd that is good. Others have lost their way, yet God promises to “I will search for them . . . seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered . . . I will bring the out from the peoples and gather them . . . I will bring them into their own land.” (34:11-13 select portions) In these words there is compassion and love, like only a loving Shepherd can give. Compassion and love . . . that us God’s people disparately need.

Some fun . . .
The valley of the dry bones, in chapter 37 is always a fun on, especially as Halloween Decorations are starting to go up. Skeletons are everywhere. As I read, I kept singing, “Them bones, them bones, them drrrrry bones.” And the image of Disney’s “Silly Symphony” came to mind as well. New life is found in this valley of the dry bones. Flesh and breath is given to them, as a reminder of how God will rebuild the nation of Israel. Yet, I can’t help but wonder, what happened to those dry bones after all was said and done. They had flesh. They were filled with breath from the corners of the earth. Ezekiel says they “lived,” so what happened next? Did they return to dust. Were they real people full of mind and spirit? Were they some type of Halloween zombie created by God? Interesting image to wrestle with and ponder, when happened next to these dry dry bones!

Peace,
Pastor Bailey

Readings for the next few days: 
Thursday, September 12: Ezekiel 40 – 42
Friday, September 13: Ezekiel 43 – 45
Saturday, September 14: Ezekiel 46 – 48
Sunday, September 15: Daniel 1 – 3

Readings for: 
Saturday, September 7: Ezekiel 25 – 27
Sunday, September 8: Ezekiel 28 – 30
Monday, September 9: Ezekiel 31 – 33

How quickly we forget that God’s word through the prophets isn’t always reserved for the nation of Israel and those living in Jerusalem. We could turn back to Jeremiah and recall how his words were far reaching to the surrounding communities. Much is the same for Ezekiel. Through Ezekiel, God speaks to:

• The Ammonities (25:1-7)
• The Moabites (25:8-11)
• The Edomites (25:12-24)
• The Philistines (25:15-17)
• The nation and King of Tyre (26:1-28:19)
• The nation of Sidon (28:20-24)
• Egypt (29:1-30:26 and 32:1-33)

The list is long. Sometimes those words are of hardship and devastation. Amazingly enough, some of his words are a cry and lament for what is about to happen. While we are following the story of Israel, this is a great reminder that God’s people are all people, and as Children of God, we walk humbly in the light and life of God!

Peace,
Pastor Bailey

Readings for the next few days: 
Tuesday, September 10: Ezekiel 34 – 36
Wednesday, September 11: Ezekiel 37 – 39
Thursday, September 12: Ezekiel 40 – 42
Friday, September 13: Ezekiel 43 – 45

Readings for 
Thursday, September 5: Ezekiel 21 – 22
Friday, September 6: Ezekiel 23 – 24

A few different times Ezekiel has probably made us uncomfortable as we read about the “prostitute.” Chapter 23 is full of those images as Oholah and Ohilibah as used to describe the nature of Samaria and Jerusalem. Neither has remained faithful in the eyes of God, and are called out for their promiscuous ways. Now we don’t like to think of the life of a prostitute. “Good Christians” as some would say, wouldn’t have anything to do with “those people,” yet I would challenge you on that. For who is it that Jesus spent his time with? Turning to the Gosples, we are reminded time and time again that Jesus associated with “tax collectors and sinners” many of whom may have been prostitutes. This is good news for us, for if Jesus came to save the least of these, then certainly we find redemption in his eyes as well.

However, let’s not get too self righteous! As Ezekiel speaks of Oholah and Oholibah, prostitutes symbolizing the depth of sin committed on behalf of Jerusalem and Samariah, I would dare say that you and I are prostitutes in our own way. Think of what we have squandered away. Think of what we have miss used and abused. Think of how we have mistreated ourselves, one another, and God’s good creation. Are we not guilty of being promiscuous with the gifts God has given us to treasure? Indeed we have! Maybe that it why we get so uncomfortable when hearing the word prostitute.

While we may hang our heads on that very thought, we can give thanks, that Jesus died for sinners such as you and I. We can give thanks that new life comes to all people, regardless of how promiscuous we may have be come. That is good news for us all!

Peace,
Pastor Bailey

Readings for the next few days: 
Saturday, September 7: Ezekiel 25 – 27
Sunday, September 8: Ezekiel 28 – 30
Monday, September 9: Ezekiel 31 – 33
Tuesday, September 10: Ezekiel 34 – 36

Readings for: 
Tuesday, September 3: Ezekiel 16 – 17
Wednesday, September 4: Ezekiel 18 – 20

Now that we are a week into our reading through Ezekiel, I thought rather than ramble on, we’d turn our attention to our friends at thebibleproject.com and see what they have to say about the these visions and the words of the prophet.

Readings for the next few days: 
Thursday, September 5: Ezekiel 21 – 22
Friday, September 6: Ezekiel 23 – 24
Saturday, September 7: Ezekiel 25 – 27
Sunday, September 8: Ezekiel 28 – 30

Readings for: 
Saturday, August 31: Ezekiel 5 – 8
Sunday, September 1: Ezekiel 9 -12
Monday, September 2: Ezekiel 13 – 15

Greetings and welcome back after celebrating Labor Day weekend. I pray that you made the best of it, with whatever you did. Our family took in a triple feature at our local drive in movie theater. It was great for just the four of us to enjoy, but I will be honest, I don’t recover from a 3 a.m. bedtime very easily. Maybe that has something to do with celebrating my 44th birthday over the weekend as well. Funny thing was I woke up that morning, asked Alexa what time it was, and she said: “It is 4:44 a.m.” “Great,” I though, and now I’m 44. Not sure what type of omen that brings.

Shifting into Ezekiel and his omens (I mean prophecies) these are challenging readings. Not in the hard to read, but hard to digest. Little did I know or remember, Ezekiel’s visions continue. From the vision of heaven described in the first chapter, Ezekiel’s vision returns in chapters 8-11, where similar themes occur of the wheel within the wheel. However, this vision isn’t quite as kind. After being pulled by the hair into to heaven (8:3) Ezekiel is transported to the gates of court of Jerusalem where he witness the “vile abominations” that have been taking place in Jerusalem. With such great news witnessed by Ezekiel, one can connect the dots and realize that emanate destruction is soon at hand for Jerusalem, and we need to turn no farther than looking back at the story of the kings, or the earlier prophets we have read.

One particular passage struck me as I read:

“Go through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of those who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it.”
(Ezekiel 9:4)

As I read these words, I remembered two things. 1) My own baptism. 2) Ash Wednesday. In baptism these words are echoed as a small cross is drawn upon our forehead: “Child of God, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the Cross of Christ forever.” Marked and Sealed! A powerful witness of whose we are and to whom we belong. Sadly that same cross becomes visable only once a year as ash is dusted upon our head, “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Here our sinful selves are revealed, yet with joy and thanksgiving the waters of baptism and the love of God is deep and wide!

This gift of grace and love is the same gift that is poured out on the faithful few the Ezekiel is prophesying to. These words couldn’t say it better:

Thus says the Lord God: I will gather you from the peoples, and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.  When they come there, they will remove from it all its detestable things and all its abominations.  I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them; I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,  so that they may follow my statutes and keep my ordinances and obey them. Then they shall be my people, and I will be their God.
(Ezekiel 11:17-20)

Peace,
Pastor Bailey

Readings for the next few days: 
Tuesday, September 3: Ezekiel 16 – 17
Wednesday, September 4: Ezekiel 18 – 20
Thursday, September 5: Ezekiel 21 – 22
Friday, September 6: Ezekiel 23 – 24

Readings for: 
Friday, August 30: Ezekiel 1 – 4

As we journey into the 26th Book of the Bible we find ourselves contemplating the words of Ezekiel. Who was Ezekiel and what was the importance of his writing? These might be two questions to start off with as we begin our readings for the next week.

To answer this we don’t have to look too far, as Ezekiel tells us that he is 30 years old, living in exile on the Chebar River in Babylon. He is the son of a priest and has been living in exile for five years. All of this comes as introductory material just before Ezekiel has his vision of heaven. Now fair warning, this vision isn’t for the faint of heart. To some it might seem quite frightening being greeted by a eight winged creature with four faces and seeing a rolling wheel within a wheel. Rereading this text (its been a while) kind of shattered that old Sunday School Song, “Ezekiel saw the wheel, way up in the middle of the air.”

⁵ In the middle of it was something like four living creatures. This was their appearance: they were of human form. ⁶ Each had four faces, and each of them had four wings. ⁷ Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf’s foot; and they sparkled like burnished bronze. ⁸ Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. And the four had their faces and their wings thus: ⁹ their wings touched one another; each of them moved straight ahead, without turning as they moved. ¹⁰ As for the appearance of their faces: the four had the face of a human being, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle; ¹¹ such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each creature had two wings, each of which touched the wing of another, while two covered their bodies.
Ezekiel 1:5-11 NRSV

Interesting to note after reading this description of heaven is that the Four Gospels and/or their authors are each represented by one of the faces greeting Ezekiel. Matthew is represented by the Man, Mark by the Lion, Luke by the Calf, and John by the Eagle.  While I can’t tell you why and how those symbols were chosen for the Gospels, it does seem to be a wonderful parallel between the vision that Ezekiel was having and the new life proclaimed in the Gospels. In both we find our Alpha and Omega, our beginning and our end, and the promise of new life that comes though God. This fact, provides us another key understanding of Ezekiel. He is proclaiming restoration and hope to the Exiles. New life is coming even while they are at the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. Together lets read on!

Peace,
Pastor Bailey

Readings for the next few days: 
Saturday, August 31: Ezekiel 5 – 8
Sunday, September 1: Ezekiel 9 -12
Monday, September 2: Ezekiel 13 – 15
Tuesday, September 3: Ezekiel 16 – 17

Readings for: 
Wednesday, August 28: Lamentations 1 – 2
Thursday, August 29: Lamentations 3 – 5

We shift from Jeremiah to Lamentations, a short five chapter book of the Old Testament. While I say we shift from Jeremiah to Lamentations, that might not be the case. Even though Lamentations has no known author, many believe these may be the writings of Jeremiah. Either way, these five poems are five laments for the hardship that Jerusalem and the people of God face as the city is destroyed and the people are lead of to Exile.

Before I leave you to your readings, one interesting tidbit that is lost in our own translation is that each of these 22 verses. One for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. I looked through a variety of translations to find an English equivalent, and couldn’t find one to share or recommend. However, keep that in mind as you read, the Poet who crafted these, did so with care and precision to retell their story in a methodical way to respect their tradition and the language of the people.

Lastly before we go, let’s check in with thebibleproject.com to hear their explaination of Lamentations. Then I’ll get back to you as we move into Ezekiel.

Peace,
Pastor Bailey

Readings for the next few days: 
Friday, August 30: Ezekiel 1 – 4
Saturday, August 31: Ezekiel 5 – 8
Sunday, September 1: Ezekiel 9 -12
Monday, September 2: Ezekiel 13 – 15