Then
Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of
it Ebenezer [Ebenezer means stone of help], saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us. (1Samuel
7:12 KJV)
In the United States of
America it is Memorial Day weekend. Originally,
it was a time set aside to honor the men and women who gave their lives in
various wars (as well as a time to decorate graves of loved ones who have
passed away). Sadly, this time has
evolved into a huge party time—a time to kick off summer time.
Many people will spend the
weekend relaxing and hanging out with family and friends—not giving a second thought
to what the day is really about.
However, there are places where those who have gone on are remembered.
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| Personal photo |
In the United Methodist tradition,
we honor those who have passed away since the previous Memorial Day by reading
their names and lighting a candle. In
addition, memorials given to the church are used to buy items; such as,
pictures, Bibles, and books—in memory of an individual—are dedicated.
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| Photo Credit: C. Meissner |
With all of this in mind, I thought it
would be interesting to look at memorials in the Scriptures. In order to better grasp the idea of a memorial,
let us consider the definition of memorial from Webster’s Dictionary of 1828:
“1. Preservative
of memory. There high in air memorial of my name, Fix the smooth oar, and
bid me live to fame. 2. Contained in memory as memorial possession. MEMO'RIAL, noun That which preserves the memory of
something; any thing that serves to keep in memory. A monument is a memorial of a deceased person, or of an event.
The Lord's supper is a memorial of the death and sufferings of Christ. Churches have names; some as memorials of
peace, some of wisdom, some of the Trinity.
1. Any
note or hint to assist the memory. Memorials
written with king Edward's hand shall be the ground of this history. 2. A written representation of facts,
made to a legislative or other body as the ground of a petition, or a
representation of facts accompanied with a petition.”[1]
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| Photo Credit: C. Meissner |
We memorialize to honor; we honor people, we also honor
God. On the flip side, we also dishonor
people and God by how we treat them and talk to and about them.
Memorials have a long history; they have a solid biblical
foundation. Throughout God’s Word, we
can find memorials to God’s power, might, help, and work on behalf of His
people.
In the Old Testament we see a memorial to the
faithfulness of God being put up, by the prophet Samuel—the Ebenezer stone (1 Samuel 7:12).
What does it mean to you to have a God Who helps?
What can you do to help you remember how God helps you?
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| Photo Credit: P. Whitlach |
In the New Testament we see the establishment of
Communion—a memorial to Jesus’ work on the cross (1 Corinthians 11:26-29). (In the future, I plan to take a closer look
at Communion.)
Obviously, there are many more memorials in the Scriptures,
some will be considered later.
Please join with me in prayer:
Dear Lord of All, Thank You for being our ever faithful “stone
of help”. We realize what a wretched
state we would be in without You. We
praise and thank You for Your faithfulness towards us, especially when we have
been less than faithful, at times, towards You.
We remember with gratitude all that You have done for Your
children. During this time, we lift up
to You memories of loved ones who have died.
Thank You for the ways they have touched our lives. We remember with gratitude, all that Jesus did
for us. Guide us to use this special time
in a way that is honoring, rather than dishonoring. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.
From My Heart to Yours,
Kim
