MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
REVIVAL IN A PANDEMIC
W
hen my middle son was about five years old, my family and I visited the Tyrel Museum in Drumheller. It is a fascinating place to visit, to see all those imposing skeletal remains of prehistoric creatures. As we were visiting that day, we noticed a special feature was offered that afternoon. You could go on a dig with the scientists, and be taken out by bus to the excavation site. Our son was at a time in his life when he was enamored by dinosaurs, and really wanted to go. Although reluctant to send him, we finally agreed. We were there to pick him up at the designated time, and he came off the bus with a plaster cast of his find for the day — a baby dinosaur. His excitement was palpable. He told us that “dead bones can speak to us.” This incident reminds me of the story found in Ezekiel 37:1-5: “1 The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man,
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Alberta Adventist News
JUNE 2020
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to virtual meetings. Many people feel that their hearts, their faith, and their trust is dried out. They feel like they are residents in the valley God can restore of bones. There have been us to life even so many disappointments, when things seem heartaches, days alone, desperate." and hospital bedsides. God reassured the people of Ezekiel’s day with these can these bones live?” I said, words, “I will put breath in “Sovereign Lord, you alone you, and you will come to life. know.” The context of this Then you will know that I am passage is that the nation of the Lord.” In just a few years, Israel is in captivity in Babylon. God would bring his people It seemed that their national home to the Promised Land. identity was gone forever and He would restore all things that the people would never and make all things new. return to the promised land. God promises the same The purpose of this vision/ for us. This pandemic will miracle was to inspire the come to an end, and our faith people with hope. God can will take us through. We restore us to life even when will worship together again, things seem desperate. As sing the songs of victory and I write this, we are in the rejoice in God’s salvation. middle of the Covid19 God will make these dry pandemic. There are over bones live once more. 50,000 cases in Canada, and we just recorded 3,000 deaths. Many people have lost their employment, schools are closed, and we are unsure of the way forward. As “church people,” we are feeling the impact of this pandemic in a personal Gary Hodder way. Our churches are President Alberta Conference closed, and we are limited
