By Doug Redford
In 1996, Carmella LaSpada, who had been a longtime advocate for veterans, was talking to a group of children visiting Washington, D.C. Recalling the event, LaSpada says, “I told them, ‘You know, Memorial Day is next Monday.’ Then I asked, ‘Do you know what the meaning of Memorial Day is, what it’s all about?’ And they all looked at each other and said, in unison, ‘Oh, that’s the day the swimming pools open.’”
LaSpada realized that adults were also losing sight of Memorial Day’s true purpose, to honor those killed while serving in the armed forces. So she asked the United States Congress to establish a National Moment of Remembrance, which it ultimately did; and the plan began to be implemented the very next year in 1997. People are encouraged to stop whatever they are doing on Memorial Day for one minute of reflection at 3:00pm in their particular time zone. So, if there’s a NASCAR race on Memorial Day, NASCAR has its drivers pull over mid-race at 3:00pm. Fans come to their feet, and flags are lowered to half-mast. Major League Baseball pauses its games. Some trains blow their whistles. For many, it’s a more private moment.
In a sense, every Lord’s Day is a Memorial Day for followers of Jesus. This is not to demean or take away from what our national Memorial Day means; it is only to highlight the significance of Communion as a sacred time of remembrance at every gathering for worship. In most churches, Communion is taken at around the same time during each service. Depending on the size of the congregation, the time for reflection can vary from a few to several minutes. While it is a private moment of worship and remembrance for each Christian, each of us should remember that the Christian life is not to be lived in private. We are part of a family of brothers and sisters with whom we are privileged to share the life Jesus came to give. And we should never forget that this family includes brothers and sisters around the world, many of whom are paying a great price to observe the same meal we are sharing.
Coca-Cola used to advertise with the slogan, “The pause that refreshes.” Communion provides a pause each Lord’s Day to refresh us and to encourage us to run our race faithfully for Jesus “until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26).
Doug Redford has served in the preaching ministry, as an editor of adult Sunday school curriculum, and as a Bible college professor. Now retired, he continues to write and speak as opportunities arise.
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