Where the Lost Things Go : All That’s Lost is Found

Ezekiel was taken up by the Spirit to a valley full of bones. As he wandered amongst the bones he noticed a number of things. First, there was a lot of them. Second, they were very dry. This tells us that a lot of people died in this place to leave so many bones and the fact that they were dry means they had been lying there a long time.

Now God asks Ezekiel a question, “Can these bones live?” Ezekiel fires it back to God and tells him that only he would know if that was possible or not. God then instructs him to speak to the bones and that they would indeed live.

As Ezekiel speaks to them they begin to come together. As the old song goes, Them bones, them bones, them dry bones… Oh hear the word of the Lord! Once the bones have taken on flesh, Ezekiel notices that although they are no longer dry and lying on the ground these bodies still do not live. God instructs him to speak breath into them and with this they come alive.

The purpose of all of this is to show Ezekiel what God’s plan for the people of Israel is. They may feel that exiled in Babylon that they are like dry bones, and cut off from all hope. With God, though, nothing is beyond saving. It doesn’t matter how far gone or how impossible it seems; God can breath life into anything.

We are staying in North Shields again this week and looking at three chapels. The first was situated not too far from where the chapel was on South Street.

Dene Street Methodist chapel was a United Methodist Free chapel and seated between 300 and 550 (different accounts note different numbers). It stood from 1808 to 1921 when it was demolished. This whole area was cleared for the industrial complex that surrounded the banks of the time and the docks that would spring up.

A little further in land stood Coach Lane Methodist Chapel, a Wesleyan chapel which was built around 1881 and closed around 1980. This building is still a church, having been renovated by the Iglesia Ni Christo in 2019.

Finally we move out of the centre of North Shields to the Ridge Estate Mission. The Mission started in 1934 as a mission church. It held its meetings in the open air or in members’ homes. In 1939 a wooden hut on Minton Lane was bought and this acted as the chapel for a time. Later a permanent chapel was built close by in 1949 until the church closed in 1969.

The Ridge Estate was built as a place for those to live who were displaced from slum clearances elsewhere in North Shields. Some of these people may have worshipped in places like Dene Street or South Street. Some, though, would have joined when they saw the open air meetings.

Dry bones, closed chapels, ageing members, dwindling help. Can these things yet live? Maybe the question God asked Ezekiel is the questions God is asking us. Maybe our answer should be the same as Ezekiel’s… Sovereign Lord, you alone know!

Questions to reflect on:

1.What is your favourite season and why?
2.What is the most remarkable thing you have ever witnessed?
3.Have you ever questioned God’s ability to do something? What was it and why did you question?
4.Which one of the below would you describe yourself as and why?
a.Dry bones
b.A body but lacking the breath that gives you life?
c.Fully alive and raring to go?
5.How would you describe the chapel you are part of?
a.Dry bones
b.A body but lacking the breath that gives you life?
c.Fully alive and raring to go?
6.Is there an area/building/place in your community that you look at and think, God could breathe new life into this place? Where is it and what do you think God could do?
7. Ezekiel was shown this vision to give hope to the people of Israel in exile. What might be the thing God is showing/telling you to encourage others with?