Remembering those who came before us
Faith in the Public Square
Lompoc Record
May 25, 2008
Each Sunday when my congregation gathers for worship, we celebrate the Lord's Supper. In observing this ancient rite, we hear the words of Jesus: “Do this in remembrance of me.” These words spoken over bread and cup, symbols of a life given for others, invite us to share in the life and ministry of Jesus. In this act of remembrance we honor and acknowledge the one who has laid claim on our lives.
What my church does at the table, we all do in one form or another - we participate in rituals that cause us to remember those people and events that impact and form our lives. There are religious rites, and there are national and cultural ones. For instance, it is with parades and fireworks that we mark the birth of our nation.
That original focus remains present, but it has increasingly taken a back seat to the recreational aspects of the weekend. There are those who mark the graves of the fallen, but more of us - me included - likely see this as a day away from work, more a day to play than to remember. Indeed, Memorial Day is now a federally sponsored three-day holiday weekend marked by picnics, barbecues, trips to the beach and to the lake. It is more a marker of a change of seasons than a remembrance of the fallen.
It can happen in many forms. It might involve placing flowers or a flag on a grave. Or it might simply involve taking a moment to remember someone who has died, someone whose life impacted your own life. As we remember, we should give thanks for those who no longer walk with us in the flesh, and yet remain deeply embedded in our hearts. Indeed, part of the celebration of the Lord's Supper involves giving thanks for a life lived and given for others.
On this Memorial Day weekend, we stop to remember and give thanks for those whose lives have made a difference in who we are and what we shall become.
Dr. Bob Cornwall is pastor of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Lompoc. He blogs at http://pastorbobcornwall.blogspot.com and may be contacted at faithinthepublicsquare@gmail.com or c/o First Christian Church, P.O. Box 1056, Lompoc, CA 93438.
May 25, 2008
Lompoc Record
May 25, 2008
Each Sunday when my congregation gathers for worship, we celebrate the Lord's Supper. In observing this ancient rite, we hear the words of Jesus: “Do this in remembrance of me.” These words spoken over bread and cup, symbols of a life given for others, invite us to share in the life and ministry of Jesus. In this act of remembrance we honor and acknowledge the one who has laid claim on our lives.
What my church does at the table, we all do in one form or another - we participate in rituals that cause us to remember those people and events that impact and form our lives. There are religious rites, and there are national and cultural ones. For instance, it is with parades and fireworks that we mark the birth of our nation.
This weekend, and more specifically Monday (the last Monday of May), we stop to remember and honor those who have died - especially those who have died in the defense of the nation. Although Memorial Day, as we know it today, was established by Congress in 1971, the practice of remembering fallen soldiers goes back 140 years. In 1868, the commanding general of the Grand Army of the Republic began the practice of decorating the graves of those who had died in the Civil War. What began at Arlington National Cemetery in 1868 came to be known as Decoration Day, and in the years following spread across the country, first in the North and then after World War I in the South.
That original focus remains present, but it has increasingly taken a back seat to the recreational aspects of the weekend. There are those who mark the graves of the fallen, but more of us - me included - likely see this as a day away from work, more a day to play than to remember. Indeed, Memorial Day is now a federally sponsored three-day holiday weekend marked by picnics, barbecues, trips to the beach and to the lake. It is more a marker of a change of seasons than a remembrance of the fallen.
We live fast-paced and often overly structured lives, so a time to play isn't a bad thing. And yet, it is important that we stop and remember - and not just those who have died in service to the country, but all who have gone before us. As we remember family and friends, mentors and teachers, who no longer walk with us, we discover our identity and purpose in life. If we can re-imagine Memorial Day, we can see it as a celebration of the legacy that has been left to us. Because we live in such a mobile society, it's easy to become rootless.
I grew up in Klamath Falls, Ore. I have good memories, but I don't have any family left there and very few friends remain. It's quite possible that I'll never return, but that community - my teachers, employers, friends, and parents of friends - helped form me. In many ways, the only real roots that I have left in that community are memories, and yet these memories are very real and important to me. Our need to connect and to remember from whence we came drives the recent interest in genealogy. By tracing back our family tree, we discover our roots and find our place in history.
By remembering, we can grow and find healing. When we remember, we can take responsibility for both the good and the bad that is our history. We can acknowledge our need for forgiveness and restoration. By remembering, we can make peace with the past so we can embrace the future. That would be a worthy goal for a celebration of Memorial Day.
It can happen in many forms. It might involve placing flowers or a flag on a grave. Or it might simply involve taking a moment to remember someone who has died, someone whose life impacted your own life. As we remember, we should give thanks for those who no longer walk with us in the flesh, and yet remain deeply embedded in our hearts. Indeed, part of the celebration of the Lord's Supper involves giving thanks for a life lived and given for others.
On this Memorial Day weekend, we stop to remember and give thanks for those whose lives have made a difference in who we are and what we shall become.
May 25, 2008
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