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There are certain things that God wants us to remember. That particular word -- "remember" -- is used hundreds of times in scripture. For example, in the Old Testament, God's people are told to remember the Sabbath (Ex. 20:8), remember God's mighty acts of faithfulness (Ps. 77:11-12), and remember the freedom God gave to them (Deut. 24:18). In the New Testament, Christ bids us to remember that he is with us always, even to the end of the age (Matt. 28:20), and the letters of Paul call us to remember both the grace we have been given (Eph. 2:11-12) and the sacred traditions that have been passed down to us (1 Cor. 11:2).
God lifts up these kinds of memories because they help us to hold fast to the things that are most important. In the deep recesses of our minds, memories connect key moments with powerful feelings and then knit them together into lasting tapestries of meaning. These precious bits of fabric are then stowed away, deep in our consciousness. When we remember them, powerful emotions and convictions of the past become part of our present and help us chart healthy paths into the future. In the eyes of God, the ability to remember is a precious gift and the discipline of remembering is a vital act of faith.
This Sunday we will engage in this faithful discipline together, as we remember the momentous times of the Protestant Reformation. While none of us lived through that era, the collective memories of that time have been passed down to us, from generation to generation. This inheritance of experience, emotion, and meaning continues to guide us, shape us, and help us to understand the ways of God and the ways of the world. Lifted by the beautiful music of the Larchmont Symphonia, led by participants on our recent pilgrimage to Scotland, and guided by the wisdom of our ancestors in the faith. we will remember together what God wants us to remember.
I hope to see you and your family on October 26th, Reformation Sunday at Larchmont Avenue Church.
Blessings and peace,
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