Pastor John Wright

I've just gotten back from a paper and presentation at Azusa Pacific yesterday. It was an honor to be invited to speak. Dennis Okholm and Craig Keen helped arranged it and were wonderful hosts. I have known Craig for a while, but it was good spending time with Dennis -- the author of Monk Habits for Everyday People. It suddenly occured to me that Dennis was the one who, years ago, set up the Wheaton conference on Evangelicals and Post-liberalsm. I hope that we have many conversations yet to follow.

This week's Scriptures present a sign of what is to come in Easter. This is important because it helps us to remember, as we soon will go through Holy Week, that we don't do so in ignorance of what culminates -- the resurrection. We'll start with the Ezekiel passage, move to the Gospel, and finish with the Epistle.

Ezekiel 37:1-14

In light of the horrors of war that we still watch and hear of today, we need to see the beginning of the vision as the results of a battle in which a large contingent had been masacred. What would be presupposed if one saw a valley full of human bonds from a lost battle that were now "very dry"? How had they become dry? Why would no one come to bury them? What is the impact of the "hand of the Lord"'s question to the prophet?

What is it precisely what happens as a result of the prophet's word? What is the difference in the end result from the presupposed setting of how they become dry? What has happened to their status as an army?

What is the message that of the vision? What does this presuppose about Israel? What is the purpose of the resurrection here? What is the means of the resurrection?

John 11:1-44

As throughout the Johanine readings in Lent, this one is very long. The parallel with Ezekiel looks towards, of course, the end of the story. What are the main parts that lead towards Jesus's encounter with the grave of Lazarus? What is the attitude of Jesus towards death? How does he treat death? What does Jesus say they will see if they take away the stone? Where do they see this? How is Lazarus described as he comes out? What are Jesus' instructions? To whom?

What is your basic reactions to the whole flow of the story?

Romans 6:16-23

How does the resurrection form the background of these instructions? What is the "form of teaching to which you were entrusted"? What is it to present "your members as slaves to righteousness for sanctification"? How does this related to the "teaching to which you were entrusted"? What is the "end" of sanctification -- being made holy? "Where" is eternal life that is the free gift of God?

Why is it that the reminding of the resurrection life given by God in Jesus is significant for our lives as a congregation? What difference does it make for reading the Scriptures? Participating in the Lord's Supper? Engaging in the works with and among the poor?

Have a wonderful time together!