Remembering
Dear Friends,
Memories are important, and each of us has a unique collection of them. Whether happy memories or painful ones, these memories are part of the unfolding story of our life. While we cherish some memories – for example, times spent with loved ones - others may be too painful for us to recall. Maybe then, as Barbara Streisand’s song The Way We Were puts it, ‘What's too painful to remember We simply choose to forget’.
While we might choose to store away such memories in the attic (or basement) of our minds, and even try to deny or ignore their existence, forgetting what has happened is not a simple matter of choice. As memories are formed from what has happened for good or ill, they are part of the tapestry of our lives. And just as that is true for each of us, so it is also true for our families, communities, and nation.
During this month, many of us will gather to remember those who have made the supreme sacrifice in time of war. On Remembrance Sunday (9th November), Armistice Day (11th November) and at other times, those gathered will share in a time of corporate silence to remember, and declare that “We will remember them.” While some of us may be remembering family members who served King and country in time of war, most of us won’t know individuals in our villages whose names are read out during the Act of Remembrance. Yet we still remember. This shared remembering acknowledges the importance of what has happened in the shaping of our lives, and the life of our world. It brings past events and people into the present, and in the shared remembering we are reminded that we too have our part to play in the unfolding story.
Remembering is at the heart of Christian worship. Each time we gather together to share in the sacrament of Holy Communion, we remember what God has done for us and for our world in Jesus Christ. We remember how - just before He was betrayed, arrested and crucified - Jesus commanded His friends and followers to share broken bread and poured out wine “in remembrance of me”. And as we come to share in this sacrament, we are also reminded that we too have our part to play in the unfolding story of God’s Kingdom.
With all good wishes,
John Barr, Rector
Dear Friends,
Memories are important, and each of us has a unique collection of them. Whether happy memories or painful ones, these memories are part of the unfolding story of our life. While we cherish some memories – for example, times spent with loved ones - others may be too painful for us to recall. Maybe then, as Barbara Streisand’s song The Way We Were puts it, ‘What's too painful to remember We simply choose to forget’.
While we might choose to store away such memories in the attic (or basement) of our minds, and even try to deny or ignore their existence, forgetting what has happened is not a simple matter of choice. As memories are formed from what has happened for good or ill, they are part of the tapestry of our lives. And just as that is true for each of us, so it is also true for our families, communities, and nation.
During this month, many of us will gather to remember those who have made the supreme sacrifice in time of war. On Remembrance Sunday (9th November), Armistice Day (11th November) and at other times, those gathered will share in a time of corporate silence to remember, and declare that “We will remember them.” While some of us may be remembering family members who served King and country in time of war, most of us won’t know individuals in our villages whose names are read out during the Act of Remembrance. Yet we still remember. This shared remembering acknowledges the importance of what has happened in the shaping of our lives, and the life of our world. It brings past events and people into the present, and in the shared remembering we are reminded that we too have our part to play in the unfolding story.
Remembering is at the heart of Christian worship. Each time we gather together to share in the sacrament of Holy Communion, we remember what God has done for us and for our world in Jesus Christ. We remember how - just before He was betrayed, arrested and crucified - Jesus commanded His friends and followers to share broken bread and poured out wine “in remembrance of me”. And as we come to share in this sacrament, we are also reminded that we too have our part to play in the unfolding story of God’s Kingdom.
With all good wishes,
John Barr, Rector