[The angels] said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing here looking up into the sky? This same He said to me, “Son of man, can these dry bones live?” I answered, “LORD God, you know.” Ezekiel 37:3 

The Holy Spirit led Ezekiel out onto a field of battle. The dry bones of hundreds of slain men littered the field. They had been thoroughly bleached by the sun. Each bone was scattered from the bones that they joined with. Flesh and tendons were gone. They were dead, thoroughly, completely, obviously dead. The thought of them coming back to life was a deep mystery that Ezekiel could not answer. Only God, the author of life, could. 

The dry bones were a vision through which God was illustrating to Ezekiel that His nation, His people, were a dry and dead nation. They had wandered from His truth. They had failed to preach and live in His word. And now the Assyrians and the Babylonians had scattered Israel and Judah across the Middle East just as the dry and dead bones Ezekiel saw were scattered across the valley. Could God’s people ever know life again? God alone could assure the future of His Church. 

What about our nation today? We are a nation that professes to be one nation under God, but we are not united around His will and word. We are a divided people. So many tolerate and champion the supposed right to murder. So many tolerate and champion the right to ignore God and determine one’s own gender. So many tolerate and champion even racial divisions. Why? It is because God’s word has no place in our nation beyond battles to keep a few copies of the Ten Commandments in legislative chambers. God’s word is inconvenient to live and carry out. 

So our Lord calls out to us, “Sons and daughters, can these dry bones live?” And we can answer as Ezekiel did, “Lord, God, you know.” As the Kingdom of God continues to be built in individual hearts, we cannot know for certain which dry bones will live. Some will hear the word of God and come to faith. Some will persist in their rejection and never come to eternal life. But we cannot know for certain who will come to faith and who will not. That determination is only for the Holy Spirit to know. 

Rather than worrying about whether the seed of faith will grow in this heart or that heart through the work of the Holy Spirit, we must concern ourselves with the work we have been commissioned to do. We must share the word with whomever we have been given the opportunity to share it. If our nation is ever to be more than a collection of scattered and spiritually dead dry bones, we must carry out the commission given us. Preach the word and plant it home. Blessings as we do. 

Frank Van Brockin 

Principal/Teacher 

Coming up in the near future for Immanuel Lutheran School: 

❖ There will be an early release day with bus service on Wednesday, May 15. The monthly faculty meeting will follow early release.

❖ There is a Culver’s Share Night, May 16, 4-8 PM, Proceeds will go to funding for the WELS International Youth Rally. 

❖ Confirmation will take place on Sunday, May 19, at second service. A cake reception will follow. 

❖ At 8:30 AM, Wednesday May 22, students transitioning into the Medford Middle School are invited to tour the school. We will need parent volunteers to go with the students.

❖ Our final Accelerated Reader field trip of the year will be Thursday, May 22. We will be going to Marshfield for roller skating and the zoo. 

❖ The annual Pre-K and Kindergarten celebration night will be Thursday, May 23, beginning at 5:00 PM. 

❖ Our end of the school year picnic is Friday, May 24. There will be an early release that day with no bus service provided. Please let Paula Klemm know if you plan on attending lunch with us on that day. 

❖ Graduation ceremonies will be during second service on Sunday, May 26.