Last night, I had the privilege of speaking from a passage that I have never heard spoken from before in a church setting. For some reason, I made it through two academic programs related to Biblical Studies (one on a bachelors level and one on a masters level), without even really knowing this passage existed.  However, once I read Ezekiel 16, as a part of B90X, I knew it would be something I shared with others.  Also, hearing my friend Shane Copeland share about how he preached from this passage as his first public sermon at the church that he called home for well over a decade, I began looking for a time and place to share from it.  That moment came last night, and with the help of four good friends, I got to convey the power of the 63 verses of Ezekiel 16 with the Crash community.

In preparing for and sharing this message, I was reminded of what Donald Miller shared in his book tour talk connected to his recent release, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years.  Miller reflects on the way that stories are dealt with by pastors (like myself), who tend to over-explain and beat the life out of Biblical narratives or Jesus’ parables, instead of allowing these passages to communicate on their own.

As the four readers finished sharing from Eugene Peterson’s rendering of Ezekiel 16, I returned to my stool to teach and paused.  I felt the weight of the passage hanging in the air. This was a new feeling for me and I doubt that I was alone in feeling the strength of this passage’s words to all of us.  I then shared with those in the room that I think it is important that we “let the Scripture speak for itself.” I was convicted and encouraged in the same moment.

I went on to share about how often we seek relief from suffering in all the wrong places, just like the people of Jerusalem in Ezekiel 16.  How the darkness of this passage only makes the chapter’s final words on bright hope of the New Covenant that much stronger.  How communion is a powerful moment of celebration and a reminder of God’s sufficiency in the face of our humanity and inability to do what it took to reconcile us to God amidst the problem of sin and suffering.

I encourage you to check out the podcast here or on iTunes (search: Crash at North Phoenix) later this week to experience these things in context and to experience it for yourself (if you missed the service).

I am praying for the days ahead that are leading us to Easter and then on towards the summer.  I pray that we would allow the Scriptures to speak for themselves, as we continue to read the Scriptures together as a church and as we gather each week to worship God through singing and explore the Scriptures’ meaning for our everyday lives. I pray that, amidst the seasons of blessings and suffering that we find ourselves in, we would find the presence of Holy Spirit in our lives to be a sustaining and guiding force of light and hope.