March 18, 2024
The Good Stuff
In the moment, it was hard to see that some "good stuff" was happening . . .
Articles for tag: Remembrance
May 22, 2023
A New Meaning to an Old Memorial
Who would claim that a national holiday would henceforth be all about him? . . .
April 17, 2023
Again
Here we go again. It’s time for Communion, again. Once more with feeling! Right? . . .
April 10, 2023
Memory
We are to remember that our sins are forgiven because Jesus died on the cross, was buried, and then rose alive on the third day.
August 21, 2018
Spiritual Post-it Notes
By Joe Harvey He forgot . . . and twice in one week. First, he forgot to arrange transportation to a doctor’s appointment. Then, while at the appointment, he forgot to regather all his possessions before leaving. Neither incident was a big deal, but it did take time to sort things out, and it did cause inconvenience and frustration. There are tools and techniques for remembering and staying on track. And these days, even phones and watches can remind us of upcoming events and chide us if we are being lazy. In this crazy multitasking world, some people need all
August 14, 2018
Reflecting and Reactivating
By Joe Harvey Remembering can be powerful! Yet it all depends on how we go about it. We can remember that something happened: “Yes, I did pay that bill.” That kind of remembering is functionally useful. It answers a question or settles an uneasy feeling. That is not what Jesus had in mind when he told his disciples to “remember me” during the Lord’s Supper, however. Surely, he was calling them to a different kind of remembering—one that involves reflection and reactivation. Reflection is simple enough. It means revisiting the past and regathering the meaningfulness of that remembered moment. Jesus’
A Passover Meal to Remember
By Rick Chromey It’s so easy to forget. Most often our memory fades with time. We forget how we felt. We forget details and even reasons. Our memory of something can become jaded, biased, foggy, or lost. Sometimes our memory is damaged by age. It’s not that we want to forget, but rather, we simply can’t remember. God understands the peril of human forgetfulness. Our minds sometimes need a little jogging through a metaphor, object lesson, or visual cue. Sometimes we need to re-create the experience. The ancient Passover meal was something God used to remind the Israelites of their
March 6, 2018
The Wonder of the Cross
By Dick Wamsley Is it possible to become so accustomed to the wonder of God’s creation that you lose a sense of awe when you see a majestic mountain, hear a rustling brook, gaze into the heavens at night, or smell the aroma of spring flowers? If so, then is it also possible to lose your sense of wonder at the cross of Christ? As a young man, Isaac Watts must have suspected it was possible. When he considered the wonder of the cross, he wrote these words: When I survey the wondrous cross On which the Prince of Glory
March 31, 2017
In Remembrance of Me
By Becky Ahlberg Do you remember your first Communion? The first time you held the bread and cup and accepted the invitation to this table offered by the Lord himself upon your baptism and commitment to him? How old were you? Where were you? Who else was there? For some of us, that moment was decades ago; for some others, it might be this very day. For all of us, it is a call to remembrance. We”re called to remember our commitment. We”re called to remember our community here in this place and to remember Christians around the world. And
October 28, 2016
And When He Had Given Thanks
By Ron Davis One of the curious elements of the Passover Jesus shared with his apostles in the upper room, as recorded in Luke 22:14-20, is the comment, “he gave thanks.” Thanks? For what exactly? Jesus is hours away from being arrested, cruelly abused, and murdered in humiliation. And he knows it full well. Thanks! For what? For the material elements themselves? A simple “loaf” of unleavened bread, the commonest of food, better suited to fill a stomach than to nourish. The drinkable juice of a plant that grew clusters so large and plentiful and of which some shriveled on
April 8, 2016
Not Defiance, but Surrender
By Mark Krause I recently read of a young mother who named her son Defy. Yes, I spelled that correctly: Defy, as in “to oppose with an attitude.” She said she wanted her child to grow up knowing he never had to accept the status quo and should always question everything. While I understand the cultural frustration that causes this sort of thing, it seems dangerous to me. If everyone in a society becomes a relentless questioner, pretty soon there is no one left to give answers, and collapse is inevitable. This can happen in the church. Is our first
November 7, 2014
The Best Object Lesson
By Trevor Tolley A good teacher likes to use an object to help his or her students remember the lesson. A good teacher knows that a good object lesson engages a student”s senses. The more a student”s senses are engaged, the greater the likelihood the student will remember the lesson. Jesus understands this about us. And through the Lord”s Supper, Jesus demonstrates his mastery as a teacher. He cares enough to provide a physical reminder, an object lesson, of what he has done for us and what we believe. And what a reminder! Have you ever stopped to ponder the
June 8, 2012
A New Meaning to an Old Memorial
By Nancy Karpenske Imagine family and friends around your picnic table at Memorial Day. The head of the family is explaining to the youngsters about the origin and importance of the holiday. But instead of reciting history, as one would expect, he puts himself in the middle of the meaning, as if he is going to leave your family picnic and volunteer to give his life for his country. He even claims that from now on, Memorial Day will focus on his sacrifice more than on the remembrance of previous veterans. You might be glad this imaginary family isn”t yours””or
July 7, 2011
Memory Matters
By Ethan Magness Our memory matters to God. After a personal encounter with God, a pillar of rocks would be built so the mercy of God would never be forgotten. In response to the great saving acts of God, festivals were established so the people could celebrate and never forget. Pilgrimages and parties, feasts and festivals were held for the purpose of maintaining the memories that defined God”s people. When the Israelites entered the land, God gave them new disciplines of memory: doorposts and tassels, promises to repeat, stories to tell. All of these were so God”s people and their
May 26, 2011
Wherever the Table Is Spread
By J. Michael Shannon “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord”s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). The first Lord”s Supper was observed in a relatively obscure room in Jerusalem. It was a private gathering. Very few people were there. Those who were there did not understand its full significance. Jesus was making clear the meaning of his death. In the early church, Jesus” followers each Lord”s Day reenacted what happened in that room. Even though the events were fairly recent, they did not want a week to go by without remembering.
April 3, 2011
A Fitting Memorial
By Bob Hostetler At 6:55 on a cold March evening, 12-year-old Valerie Webb, who lost her father in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York”s World Trade Center towers, threw a switch that sent twin towers of light into the sky. The bright beacons, a tribute to the nearly 3,000 lives lost at that site, seemed a fitting memorial for the horrible acts that left a gaping hole in New York”s skyline . . . and in America”s heart. When something of that magnitude happens, it”s only natural””and right””to want to mark it and remember it. On the
November 30, 2005
Our Last Supper? (Communion Meditation for the final Sunday of the year)
A reflection for the last Sunday of the year, inviting believers to remember Jesus’ last supper, face the sobering reality of mortality, and proclaim the Lord’s death—living ready “until he comes.”
November 30, 2005
Remembrance, Resolve, and Renewal (Communion Meditation)
The Lord’s Supper calls believers to remember Jesus’ sacrifice—and to respond with renewed resolve. Scripture shows why Christ died and how communion connects past, future, and faithful living now.
