Remembering

Sunday morning retuning:  We never actually got the chance to tune Sunday so...I got the text from Pastor Myron Saturday evening that due to the fact that the temperatures were going to be below zero until after noon on Sunday that services were going to be cancelled.  The reasoning?  The Celebration Service we had planned was simply too important to be seen by only a handful of people.  If you missed not hearing a sermon, you can find an archive of some good ones here.

My immediate thought about the decision to cancel services on Sunday was that there was absolutely wisdom in that. As I reflected on it, my agreement with the decision only grew. Here's why…

Remembering is a very important biblical concept.  In the Old Testament I immediately think of God instructing Moses to teach the children of Israel the amazing things he did. The Scriptures themselves are an incredible tool for remembering what God is done. Think of Jesus in the New Testament, instructing his disciples to remember the New Covenant every time they broke bread together.

One of the most powerful demonstrations that remembering is important are the different altars the various individuals, or groups of people, built to commemorate God's activity In their lives.  One of my favorites is when Samuel set up a stone he calls Ebenezer after God routed the Philistines, declaring “thus far the Lord has helped us. I Samuel 7:12  

I am fond of that reference because it appears in one of the original stanzas of the hymn “Come Thou Fount”, which inspired the tunings part of these epistles.  You can find all the original stanzas here.  There are even more than I remember.  And in the event you do not know the old hymn, listen to David Crowder's version here.

The goal of the services that were planned for this past Sunday, which we will enjoy together this weekend, was to remember.  Remember and celebrate. God is doing a great work among us, and it is important that we remember the things He has done.  As we look back at a number of different things that transpired in 2014 we will remember.

It occurred to me as I was thinking about this the many things that we will celebrate this weekend I was not aware of at the time they happened.  If I didn't know about them, I could not help but wonder how many other people did not.  As important as it is to remember, we must acknowledge that the events which we will commemorate this weekend really point to a much bigger reality,  The point of God working in us is not so much that we can celebrate what transpires, as much as it teaches us about him.

So, as we prepare to remember let us consider a few things. You cannot remember what you do not know.  You can not know something you are not willing to learn.  You can not learn something without a teachable attitude.

So my question for you to ponder this week is, will you come with a heart ready to learn even as we remember?

Jesus, help me to remember all that You have done and all that You are.  Help me first to know You, then help me live every day remembering what I know, even as I discover more of You.  In Jesus name.  Amen.

In Christ,

Pastor Timothy