First Sunday in Lent, Year C

“Child of earth, can these bones live?” I answered, “Sovereign All-Knowing God, you are the one who knows.”.
~Ezekiel 37:3
 It all sounds so easy, doesn’t it—this process of creation—and re-creation? Can these bones live? The obvious answer is, of course, YES, when the All-Knowing God  who crafted creation from the humus is on the case.
But what does it mean to live exactly? What kind of life are we talking about? This is a question that is under dispute these days, and it accompanies us along our 40 days of wilderness and worship, wandering and wondering. Nicodemus wants this kind of life, but what is it, after all, to be born again? These are matters that we grab at about as effectively as we lasso the wind. 
Can this give us comfort?
How about this (John 3:8)? The spirit-that-is-wind blows where it wills and you hear the sound of it [the voice of the spirit], but you know not from whence it, she, comes or where it, she, goes. So it is with everyone who is birthed of the Spirit-that-is-like-wind.”
Enter into worship.
 
Readings: Ezekiel 37:1-14 † Psalm 49:1-2, 5-15 † Ephesians 1:15-21 † John 3:1-8
 
About the Art: Knight, Leonard, 1931-. Salvation Mountain, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=54150 [retrieved February 25, 2025]. Original source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Salvation_Mountain_001.jpg.
 
More About the Art: Leonard Knight has been building Salvation Mountain for over fifteen years. Using his unique method of “splooching” to paint manmade mounds of clay and straw, Mr. Knight simply wants to spread the good news that “God is Love.” As your eye travels from the base of the mountain to its peak, you discover a multitude of images and slogans that express the complexity and comprehensiveness of God’s presence. A slogan about Jesus begins your journey up the mountain, and it concludes with a single white cross at the top that represents the risen Christ. The image of Creator God is embodied in every painted flower and tree. From doves to fruit, representations of the Holy Spirit cover generous portions of this labor of love. Every inch of Salvation Mountain represents Mr. Knight’s experience of the living God, the Trinity. For more details on Leonard Knight’s creative project and Salvation Mountain, please visit: www.salvationmountain.us. 

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