From the Preacher’s Pen…
Memories. To someone that has lost a loved one many memories can be as real as the present. When certain hymns are sung I can still hear my dad singing them as though he were right beside me. No doubt you too have memories equally strong.
To appreciate the power of memories just promise a child something special. That becomes their focus, their hope and they will do everything in their power to keep you focused on fulfilling that promise.
Memories tell who we are, what is really important to us, as well as what motivates us to move forward. And because of that fact, our God challenges us to keep certain memories ever with us.
Memories
Memories. The very word is prophetic as it conjures up all kinds of thoughts and remembrance for us. Memories have been the subject of many a poem, many a song.
Jesus through the Apostle Paul challenges us to remember a vital memory as we worship each Lord’s Day. “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same way, He took the cup also after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
Memories. A song from the musical “Cats” by Andrew Lloyd Webber carries that very title. It is, as many of his songs are, a memorable melody with some beautiful words. While not their original meaning, in fact, the words make a haunting picture of the disciples in the days following Jesus’ death and then His resurrection. Consider some of those words:
Midnight Not a sound from the pavement / Has the moon lost her memory / She is smiling alone / In the lamplight / The withered leaves collect at my feet / And the wind begins to moan.
Memory / All alone in the moonlight / I can dream of the old days / Life was beautiful then / I remember the time I knew what happiness was / Let the memory live again.
Daylight / I must wait for the sunrise / I must think of a new life / And I mustn’t give in / When the dawn comes / Tonight will be a memory too / And a new day will begin.
Can’t you picture the loss the disciples felt? It seemed like, just as hope was dawning, all hope was suddenly taken away. And yet, that was not the end of the story. No, it was hardly the beginning. And soon, much like the song ends, there was the realization that, “A new day has begun!”
How do we remember the most significant person in all of history? How, when and where do we memorialize someone who loved us so much that he gave his own life for us?
We come together as family each Lord’s day in part to remember. Our Savior’s own words reminding us yet again of the matchless gift, the priceless treasure of His own life given so that we might live.
Time has passed since that gift, since His request that we keep the memory and our home in heaven is drawing nearer.
Do you still remember? Do you keep His sacrifice fresh and new in your mind, in your life?
Memories. Memories tell who we are, what is really important to us, as well as what motivates us to move forward.
Never forget those precious memories.
— Lester P. Bagley