1 | clocks backward When I was in primary school we had a film club on a Friday evening

03 April 2014

While we en!oyed movies such as Francis "he "alking horse and Ivanhoe and demolishing ice cream and drinking ginger# "he real "rea" came abou" half way "hrough

$ha" was when "he film reel had "o be wound back % some"imes "hrough "he pro!ec"or

Wi"h "he resul"# we laughed a" "he hilari"y

2 | clocks backward of seeing "he world going backwards

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&eople !umping ou" of swimming pools# building's being resurrec"ed from rubble and s"ages coaches flying backwards in"o "he dis"ance

(f course# we knew i" was an illusion# even"s move from "he pas" in"o "he presen" and go in"o "he fu"ure never "he o"her way around# "he ra"che" on "he wheel of "ime

3 | clocks backward doesn'" allowing any reversing and clocks do no" run backwards

03 April 2014

And i" is for "his reason "ha" "he )*ekiel passage is "he more remarkable

+ow# i" could be an accoun" of an ac"ual even" of mass resurrec"ion

,e" i" could be some"hing even more en"hralling

I" could indeed be a me"aphor "ha" no"hing is unchangeable "o -od

4 | clocks backward &u" ano"her way# no ma""er which way a clock's hands are "urning % all happenings# si"ua"ions and people can be changed % changed back and even changed forward . in o"her words# changed "o sui" a differen" world

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All "ha" is needed is "o be like )*ekiel and "o see -od's wish in a nigh"mare and "hen give a hand

/ | clocks backward And a" "he risk of being "ri"e# I would like "o offer an illus"ra"ion here of when life can go from normal "o nigh"mare in a nanosecond

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$hen how "ha" nigh"mare can be made less bi""er wi"h a bi" of help

$his happened when hurricane 0a"rina hi" "he sou"hern s"a"es of "he 12A In "wo days "here was no 3normal3 lef" for hundreds of "housands of 4e5ican -ulf coas" residen"s

6 | clocks backward $he well7housed wen" "o homeless overnigh"# and people were lef" s"ruggling !us" "o find shel"er# find food# and find clean wa"er $he bare basics of life became "he mos" all7impor"an" 3finds 3 8u" no" long af"er7 ano"her need became pungen"ly apparen" &eople needed clean clo"hes 8abies con"inued "o "rash "heir nappies# clo"hes s"ar"ed "o smell# $7shir"s were as s"ained as dish "owels ,e" i" was in response

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9 | clocks backward "o "he 0a"rina ca"as"rophe "ha" $ide de"ergen" firs" s"ar"ed a program called 3:oads of ;ope 3 An eigh"een7wheeler 3"railer3 was ou"7fi""ed wi"h "hir"y7"wo energy efficien" washers and dryers Wi"h i"s accompanimen" of suppor" vans# $ide<s 3:oads of ;ope3 e5press was able "o handle up "o "hree hundred loads of laundry each day 0a"rina refugees were offered a place where "heir laundry could be washed# dried and folded For free +ow obviously#

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= | clocks backward "he dea"h of :a*arus "o his sis"ers mus" have been one of "he wors" of all nigh"mares ,e" did you no"ice how >esus helped "urn "he si"ua"ion round by# in a way# "urning back "he clocks ;e did i" no" by some airy philosophising or pious u""erance +or did he resurrec" every corpse he encoun"ered Ins"ead he did i" because :a*arus# 4ar"ha and 4ary were known "o him# were dear "o him and believed in him

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? | clocks backward &u" simply dry bones were brea"hed in"o new life by fai"h as well as ac"ion +ow# who has no" wished when mee"ing a friend grieving over a loss# "ha" "hey could wave a magic wand and make "he nigh"mare go away@ Well "oday's lessons do no" offer a magic wan d bu" do offer hope of ano"her solu"ion 8ecause i" easy "o look a" "he Ahris"ian church# in "he wes" a" leas"# and see a load of dry bones We can hear "hose wi"h varying degrees of regre" pronouncing

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10 | c l o c k s b a c k w a r d our fai"h communi"ies' dea"hs We can see "he pivo"al "own church "urned in"o a shop or a fai"hful hillside chapel all bricked up and we feel a nigh"mare coming on ,e" here are "he houses of "he very congrega"ional families like Israel of old who should know "oge"her he spiri" of -od# live "oge"her in "he spiri" of -od and be "here "oge"her for "he beref" and los" in "he spiri" of -od :e" "hen our :en"en pro!ec" be "o brea"he new life in"o "he church

03 April 2014

11 | c l o c k s b a c k w a r d

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:e" us resurrec" Ahris"ian communi"ies :e" us open "he closing "ombs of places of lis"ening for "hose around us in sore need of comfor"# companionship and "ender loving care ;ow do we do "ha"@

We do "ha" by prophesying "o "he need we all have "o be bound one "o ano"her in Ahris" We do "ha" by resurrec"ing "he cer"ain"y "ha" in Ahris" we will be "oge"her now# in "he fu"ure

12 | c l o c k s b a c k w a r d and even when all clocks s"op a" e"erni"y And we will do "ha" bes" of all by following "he advice of a respec"ed churchman who counselled fai"h B ac"ion 2ince a few years ago Cichard Aardinal Aushing wro"e abou" "he church's need for reviving ac"ion ;e saidD If all "he sleeping folks will wake up# and all "he lukewarm folks will fire up# a nd all "he disgrun"led folks will swee"en up# and all "he discouraged folks will cheer up# and all "he depressed folks will look up# a

03 April 2014

13 | c l o c k s b a c k w a r d nd all "he es"ranged folks will make up# and all "he gossiping folks will shu" up# and all "he dry bones will shake up# and all "he "rue soldiers will s"and up# and all "he church members will pray up# and if "he 2aviour of all will be lif"ed up "hen we can have "he grea"es" renewal "his world has ever known Eo you believe "his@ (f course# for "he lord is speaking Eo you believe "his@ (f course# for "he :ord is ac"ing Eo we believe "his@

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14 | c l o c k s b a c k w a r d

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(f course# for we are lis"ening Eo you really believe "his@ Well# in which case# lend a handF

Amen ;,4+

1/ | c l o c k s b a c k w a r d

03 April 2014