Come Alive (Dry Bones)
Come Alive (Dry Bones)
When I was in seminary, my school (the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond) hosted the Saint John’s Bible for a year. Yes, you read that right. We “hosted” a Bible. If you aren’t familiar with the Saint John’s Bible, you can read more here, but the basic explanation is that the Saint John’s Bible is the first completely handwritten and illuminated Bible since the invention of the printing press.
Divided into seven 2’x3’ volumes, the Word of God comes to life in a new a beautiful way. It took a team of artists from 1999-2011 to hand-write every work and create 160 illustrations. A simple search of the terms “Saint John’s Bible illustrations” will show you some of the amazing, beautiful, and breathtaking works of art found in the pages.
You will notice as you look at the pictures that there are flecks of gold leaf in each photo. The creators of the Saint John’s Bible did this intentionally. Each time you see a sparkle of gold in the illustrations, it represents the presence of God. And every single illustration and every single hand-written page contains at least one fleck of gold on it, reminding us that God is present in each situation and moment in our lives and our history.
Today, David is preaching on the passage from Ezekiel 37- the valley of dry bones. In this passage, the prophet Ezekiel is placed by God in a valley of bones. No life to be found. And the prophet is told to speak life into the bones so they can live again! When the prophet speaks truth and the Word of God to the bones, they indeed live again!
Devotional Exercise
So now that you have an idea of what the Saint John’s Bible is and you have an image in your mind of the passage for our devotion today, I’d like to invite you to end your time of devotion with this exercise.
There is a video below. I invite you to click it and watch it. You will hear the song “Come Alive (Dry Bones)” by Lauren Daigle as illustrations from the Saint John’s Bible of the Valley of Dry Bones appear on the screen. As you hear the words to the song, focus on the pictures.
What do you notice? What do you hear? What do you see? What do you feel? If you feel so led, take a moment to jot down the emotions or thoughts you have during this time.
Prayer
God who breathed life into creation, fill us again with a sense of new life. As we breathe in, may we breathe in the things we need most- calmness, quiet, community, belonging, peace. And as we breathe out, may we breathe out the things we no longer wish to carry- fear, anxiety, anger, hatred, burdens.
God, fill us with your Spirit, a Spirit who makes all things new. In this time of uncertainty may we be willing to open our eyes, minds, hearts, and souls to the ways you are moving in and around and through us. May we not remain in the valley as dry bones, but may we spring to life when we hear your Word; may we stand on our feet and be strong in our trust in you. May we as your followers be a vast multitude that knows that our hope is not lost as long as we are breathing in your Spirit and breathing out your Love.
For we know and trust that you are the God who can bring light into the darkness, hope into the valley, and renewal into our world.
Amen.
Kristen Koger is the Pastor for Children and Families at First Baptist Church of Decatur.