One of the most important things we do in life is the exercise of remembering. In fact, when you talk to folks as they begin to age one of the oft-repeated fears of getting older is that they will no longer remember. Remembering helps remind us of who we are and where we’ve come from. Remembering aids in keeping us from making the same mistakes over and over. With the loss of memory and the ability to remember, we slowly become adrift from reality. Remembering keeps us anchored in what we know to be true.
There is an interesting story tucked into an obscure passage in the Old Testament book of Joshua. The context is the story of Israel’s wanderings toward the land God had promised them. In this part of the story God gives instruction to Joshua to set up ‘stones of remembrance’ as physical markers to be observed by following generations, and in their observing to remember God’s faithfulness and deliverance. The passage says, “When your children ask in times to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you? (4:6).’” The older generation was to tell the younger generation what God’s deliverance and care looked like. God instructed Israel to remember to remember, and even to set up physical markers to remind them. This idea of remembering to remember is so significant that it comes up often in the Bible, and the Old Testament book of Judges even chides the Israelites for their forgetting (2:10).
It's interesting that in the New Testament God gives two markers of remembrance. He gives sacramental significance to two signs of God’s faithfulness and deliverance in baptism and The Lord’s Table. Not unlike the stones of remembrance during Joshua’s day, these signs are to tell a story; a story to be remembered and repeated to others and to the next generation. Often we see the words ‘In Remembrance of Me’ on communion tables in Christian churches. Even the Apostle Paul includes the language of remembering in his instructions to the Corinthians regarding The Lord’s Table in 1 Cor. 11:24. In this passage Jesus encourages His people to remember, by saying of the bread and wine, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the simple act of inviting us to the Lord’s Table, God is helping us to remember His faithfulness to us and His deliverance of us. He is helping us to remember to remember.
True Christian worship is characterized by remembering, and the hymnody of the church reflects as much. Consider Isaac Watt’s ageless hymn, ‘O God Our Help in Ages Past’ (1719) or Thomas Chisolm’s, ‘Great is Thy Faithfulness’ (1923). Even contemporary worship songs call us to remember. Consider Jenn Johnson’s ‘Goodness of God’ (2019). In her hymnody the church is emulating the sweet psalmist David whose psalms were frequent recitations remembering God’s faithfulness (36:5, 40:10, 57:3, 89:1,2,8, 91:4, 100:5, 111:7,8, 117, 138:2, 143:1).
In a juxtaposition on this idea of remembering it is of no small account that one of the thieves being crucified alongside of Jesus made this appeal to Him, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And Jesus’ response, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:42,43). Not only does God call His people to remember, but He remembers His people as well.
There are a million things that beckon for our attention. We go to bed at night exhausted from our non-stop busyness. For most of us it’s not a matter of intentional forgetfulness…it is just that everything else clamors for every second of our day. For the Christian, in mercy God gives us two aids for remembering in our baptism and in The Lord’s Table. By giving us tangible markers in baptism and The Lord’s Table we can attest to God’s faithfulness and deliverance. These are stones of remembrance to help us to remember to remember. The Lord knows we need it, and He knows the next generation needs to hear about it as well.
- DJM
8/15/2024
