Remembrance Day

Nov 12 2017:     Isaiah 11: 5-9  Luke 22: 12-20

   A time to remember!    Each of us will remember in different ways.  For some a memory might be triggered by a touch, smell, taste or a sound.  Many a time in my own life I have heard a particular song, or smelt the aroma of a baking, and it has taken me back,  back to place and time long ago but not forgotten.  As a child I can remember entering the gravel road to Heathers beach.  It was the start to our summer vacation.  What a feeling of freedom as we began our two months of sun, fun, and the cottage.  Everything there was so different from home, you had to fetch your water, cook on a wood stove, use oil lanterns for light at night and the ice man would come round selling a large block of ice for the icebox.  He keep it from melting by hiding it under a pile of sawdust shaving on the back of his wagon.  For me it was remembering a gentler time.  

Now I don’t know about you but the smell of a pine or spruce tree sometimes brings back the memories of Christmases long passed.  Now there are other times when all I need to do, is close my eyes and begin to remember a time of joy, happiness, or some other place of tranquility, where I felt safe and secure.  Like being cradled in the arms of my mom or my nanny.

A German theologian who eventually died in one of the concentration camps wrote: They can take away my food, they can strip me of my freedom, or they can kill my body, but the one thing they can’t take from me is my thoughts of those I love or my faith in God.  And it was those moments of remembering that gave Bonhoeffer the courage to go through what he called, hell on earth.  He went on to write that remembering the love and joy of faith, family and friends and the good times kept him alive, even when he could see no future.

I would like to try with you this morning an exercise in remembering, I hope you will participate with me.  You will remember from last week I talked about the breath, breathed into the nostrils of the man Adam which brought him to life.  We all know the power of breath don’t we, because if you cannot take a breath you become deceased.

Let us start by clearing our minds of today’s thoughts. To do that may I suggest a breathing exercise that will help you to relax and help you to let go of the clutter.  I will first demonstrate how we will proceed.   First you draw in a breath, doing it very slowly making the sound “YA” as you do.  Let this represent taking God into your being or into your soul.  Now when you exhale or breathe out, make the sound “Way”.  Let this represent surrendering your thoughts and your emotion to the Spirit that gave you life and breath.   Try and find a comfortable sitting position with your hands on your lap, palms up.

Try and feel the breath of life filling your lungs, fell the aliveness and then as you exhale try and feel the sense of surrendering your breath.   Now let do the exercise 5 to 10 times with closed eyes and on the 5 th or 10th time relax and only listen to my voice.   Let us begin.

 Let this quietness take you back to a place and time when you felt good about life, a time of well being.  It may have been as a child, a young adult or it may be happening in your life right now.  It was or is a time of joy and laughter, and time of peace, contentment and happiness.   I would like you picture in your mind’s eye, the faces of those whom you love, those from the past and those from the present?  Can you feel the love and joy shared by all?   It feels good to remember, because it helps me to feel good about myself and about the people around me.    

Now I would like you to come back into the present, let yourself slowly return as you begin to reunite yourself with the moment.  SEE HOW EASY IT IS FOR US TO FORGET but not forgotten.  It is not hard for us to think about the present, our present condition, it is not hard for us to think about war and it destruction today.    Mainly because it is right there in our faces every day isn’t it.   We can feel lost and alone, sick and depressed in the moments of life can’t we.   That’s why it is so important to be able to glance back and to remember.  So we never forget and remembering also help us express our gratitude for all that has been given to us.  That is why it is so important to remember those who gave up their lives for us, for the good of all.   Even if we don’t know them personally, we need to offer thanks for them being there for us, just as we remembered loved ones both past and present in the meditation.  We give thanks for the freedom we enjoy here on this beautiful Island paradise, for so many still are facing war and destruction right now.   In the bible reading today, Jesus, was about to offer his life for the sake of humankind in obedience to His Fathers will.  Jesus asked the disciples to remember Him whenever they would share a meal together, break bread and share a drink.   He was not asking them to just remember His suffering but to remember His life, what He stood for, His teachings, the miracles of healing, His ultimate act of love and His promises of a life to come.  By remembering Him in this Way we are remembering His joy, His laughter, His wisdom, His wonderful compassion.   These are wonderful things to remember and keep close to your heart.  That all who believe in Him and His promises shall not die but will have an everlasting life.  Let us the on this day of remembrance include Jesus who died for all God’s children and be truly thankful.