There are 216 auditorium seats in the sanctuary of the church. Sadly, most of them are empty during the Wednesday night prayer meeting and again on the Lord’s Day.
There are 25 choir robes that hang on the rod in the foyer; but there is no choir. There is a grand piano, but no pianist; a bass guitar, but not a bassist; a rhythm guitar, but no strummer.
The church is blessed with an expansive platform where the choir can stand and the musicians can assemble. “This†church has suffered a great loss not only of its founding pastor, but also congregants, leaders, workers, and, well…families.
Family Worship Centers believe that families should be in the house of God together. That name was chosen by us because of our love for and focus on growing whole families of believers. That generational time-frame has made quite a change to this formerly thriving church. What to do? How to grow? Is their hope? Let’s look to the Word of God.
In Ezekiel 37:3, God shows the prophet some dry bones and he asks,â€Can these bones live again?†Ezekiel replied, “O Lord God, thou knowest.†Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.â€
If you can visualize this vision that Ezekiel experienced seeing the dry bones come together; then being made alive by the wind of God, imagine what He can do for the Family Worship Centers of the world who are full of dry bones (or in some cases, a few bones).
Dusty remains have been left behind from previous generations. Rust on the instruments and wrinkles in the choir robes. I would ask, “Can these live again?†“Will God breathe on them the wind of life?†“Will they shake, rattle, and roll?
Jesus asked the lame man at the Pool of Bethesda, “Wilt thou be made whole? He had lain there almost 40 years. Later, that day, he was found walking and carrying his bed. He had been dried up, but not blown away.
Like Abraham we must not stagger at the promises of God through unbelief; but be strong in faith, giving glory to God; (Romans 4:20).
One by one, the prodigals return, the lost sheep are found, the backsliders repent, the chosen get unfrozen, the dry bones come together, the dead find new life, and the 216 seats are occupied with a born-again army of believers and kingdom walkers. Prophesy Ezekiel! Prophesy!
Penny Gilliam Hagy is pastor of Evangel Family Worship Center in Kingsport.
