REMEMBER: thoughts on the Lord's Supper

Our five senses bring memories to mind.
Seeing my four year old sleeping reminds me of her baby days.
When I hear the theme song of my favorite British sitcom, I think of our Saturday night after-church ritual--a late dinner and PBS.
Smelling sage and cornbread recalls my husband cooking Thanksgiving dinner in all the different homes we've lived.
When my feet feel chilly that first cold desert day in late fall, I remember slipping out of dress shoes and nylons and into socks and slippers on cold Northwest Sundays.
Tasting lemon marmalade reminds me of the hearty breakfasts we ate in Ireland.

God created us, gave us our five senses, and He knew the power of the memories they carry. When Jesus left His disciples to return to His Father, He sent the Holy Spirit to be our invisible guide and companion. But He also gave us a visible, audible, fragrant, touchable, edible reminder of His sacrifice and His presence with us. (If you've ever taken communion in a quiet church that serves crunchy crackers for the bread, you know how audible this symbol is.) As we partake of the bread and the cup, we engage all of our senses, calling to mind Jesus' sacrifice.

The two elements of a remembrance supper take only a little preparation, but we do take a deliberate action. Whether we make the effort to attend a service at church or to gather in a home, it's a choice we make to remember our Savior.

God made a choice to remember us:
The writer of Psalm 8 marveled at this:
When I observe Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which You set in place,
what is man that You remember him, the son of man that You look after him? (Psalm 8:3-5)

God also made a choice to not remember something:
For I will be merciful to their wrongdoing, and I will never again remember their sins. (Hebrews 8:12)

We are called to remember the Lord's works—to bring to mind the ancient happenings that show His love and power:
I will remember the Lord's works; yes, I will remember Your ancient wonders. (Psa. 77:11)

We also remember the Lord's presence
...remember, I am with you always...(Matt. 28:20)

...the Lord's sacrifice
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. (I Cor. 11:25-26)

and the Lord's identity:
They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God, their Redeemer. (Psalm 78:35)