If you're old enough, I'll bet you remember exactly where you were and what you were doing at various points on September 1, 2001. My friend's son, Sam remembers a lot. He was on the 34th floor of the first tower that collapsed. As he and his co-workers struggled to work their way northward, his persistent 'memory' is of all the Chinese Women who kept giving them cold washcloths. He knows this probably only happened once, but it was a strong enough memory and a strong enough gift, that it's his strongest, clearest memory. It's a memory that 're-members' him out of his private horror and into a community of people who were helping each other just get through the day.
Sam's memory of the Chinese women with the washcloths, reminds me of Pam Swiereinga showing up with frozen washcloths in baggies, on the hottest day for the hottest funeral ever. And, it reminds me of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples. All of these are simple, personal gestures create powerful memories of being helped and served at an important time. AND, all of those memories re-member us to communities of help and care and support.
These are Jesus' words at the institution of communion: "Whenever you eat this bread and drink this sup - rremember me." I think he is calling us to the memory: remember Jesus, especially the disciples who knew him. But, these words of remembrance call us more sacredly and more powerfully to find in communion the ways to re-member ourselves to Christ, to each other and to the whole human family. So, as you spend time this weekend unavoidably remembering 9/11, 2001, I urge you to also find ways to re-member yourselves to the Body of Christ and to the church and to one another, families and friends.
Join us for communion this afternoon at 5:00 p.m., pray for many of us as we pack meals tomorrow for Feed My Starving Children and join us for worship on Sunday as we celebrate the baptism of Taryn Martha Zonder!. It's good to do some re-membering, I think.
Blessings Always, Laura Lee
Texts for This Week:
+Luke 9:46-48
*John 13:1-10
Note: The texts in bold type will be read in the worship service and the one with an asterisk will be used as the focus for the proclamation of the word.
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