Monday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

"Re-Member"

We have concurrent themes going next Sunday. Pentecost is the recollected time on the Acts of the Apostles when it was thought that the church was born. The story is told that the disciples were gather together to celebrate a Thanksgiving event fifty days after Passover. It was a time when the people of Israel remember that the "angel of death" Passed Over their houses and they were spared. Pentecost stands for the celebration when the barley harvest was over and the wheat harvest was to begin. The people  would bring an offering of barley to the Temple in Jerusalem as a token of gratitude for their survival and for their thriving as a nation.

The disciples had experienced the death on the cross of their leader. Jesus had appeared to them but they were still in mourning and disbelief and they didn't know what they would do.

At the Pentecost celebration the holy spirit fell upon them and they began to find direction for their lives and the church was born.

It was a time when people remembered the past and when they began to build something new.

I've been looking at the DVD the church made of the military veterans in our congregation. Several of our church members spoke about their military experience and a DVD was made of it. Most of the veterans are still alive but some have died. It was an inspiring time to watch those speeches.

Next Sunday is both Pentecost Sunday and Memorial Weekend. We remember, with gratitude those who have gone before us, but that memory enables us to look toward our future. Our remembering gives us an opportunity to "re-member".

The foundation of the past and the men and women who have sacrificed for our freedom requires that we take a careful look at our future to be sure that we know the foundation upon which we are building and to enable us to move forward. Remembering leads to re-membering. Once we are re-membered we are building a future that would make the people who have gone before us proud.

Who are the people in your past you remember? If you have thoughts about this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to share your thoughts with the readers of the blog click on the 'comments' box below.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster