The Fruit of Relationship

As many of you know, I serve as a pastor and a front-line missionary in New Jersey. I have had the blessing of meeting with other Christians for regular prayer, evangelism, and outreach to our community...

The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. 2 And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know” (Ezekiel 37:1-3 ESV).

...Our group has hosted a presentation on fire safety with the local fire prevention officer, a Christ in the Passover Seder, and a Purim party! At the Purim party, we had food, fellowship, and an interactive retelling of the story of Esther. It has been a blessing to pray with people, share the Gospel, and talk with other Christians about the Jewish roots of Christianity and how Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecies and ceremonies.

But that aside, today I wanted to reflect on one experience I had in light of the Ezekiel text cited above. I have been building relationships with people in my town, and one thing I have heard and experienced a lot is the intense sadness that people have because Church attendance is down, especially since the covid pandemic. People are thinking about the future of their congregations and about the people who might not hear the hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Let me tell you about Betty. Betty is a lay leader for the local Presbyterian church, a chaplain for our senior citizen's housing, and leads the historical society. Over the last few months, I have gotten to know her and others in the community. Betty has welcomed me to the town and offered to help me in any way possible. A few weeks ago, she gave me a tour and told me stories from Maywood’s history and about the churches in the area. She talked about what it was like growing up in Maywood, how the next town over used to be a farming community and how Maywood would have events like an annual strawberry festival. But she also expressed deep pain as she told me about the change in church attendance at her congregation and as we drove past churches that are much smaller than they used to be or have closed over the last couple of years. But today’s text gives us hope!

The people of Israel were in exile in Babylon. They were far from the temple and their homeland. It felt like all hope was lost. It felt like they were dry and dead bones (Ezekiel 37:11 ESV). But God had a word of promise for them, and He has a word of promise for you and me. Ezekiel would be told to prophesy and say to the bones — representative of God’s People— “Hear the word of the Lord” (Ezekiel 37:4 ESV). God’s Word is what we turn to when the world looks dark, when it looks like there is no future for the Church, and when our loved ones do not know the hope and love that Jesus has for them.

The Word of God carries a promise “I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people… And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live” (Ezekiel 37:12, 14 ESV). The text from Ezekiel is a beautiful text about the resurrection of the dead that will occur when Jesus returns. But I think it is also a comfort for communities of faith who feel saddened and need to be encouraged. The Lord calls us to share the Word, pray, and trust in God to produce in us, our churches, and our communities.

Over the last few months, I have learned:

1. There are other Christians who are filled with the love of Jesus and love for their communities. If you find them, you can find ways to partner with them as you seek to share the Gospel with others.

2. You never know how God will use relationships to open doors for telling others that Jesus loves them. One way to reach your community could be by inviting people with different skill sets and talents to present and talk in your church. You can offer them a platform, provide food, and pray with and for the people who come as you get to know the people in your community and listen to their stories.

3. God promises to save people through the Gospel, which means that as we pray and live in His Word, He will also show us opportunities to share the message of hope with others.

Let us pray: Almighty God, You have called Your church to witness that in Christ You have reconciled us to Yourself. Grant that by Your Holy Spirit we may proclaim the good news of Your salvation so that all who hear it may receive the gift of salvation; Through Jesus Christ, our Lord (Lutheran Service Book, 305).

Jordan Peiser

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