Memorials On Memorial Day

Memorials on Memorial Day

Good Morning. Funny thing writing a sermon on why memorials are good, I got an email for something for a previous church. I ask Steph, “Why did I get this?” She said that church never changed their info. I ask if I should forward it to their current pastor, she says, “You do that every year.” No Memory of this.

I need Memorials around me. I wonder if many of us would take the time to consider and thank God for the veterans (George) who put their lives on the line for us and our families. It’s easy to forget things that aren’t in front of us. And it’s not simply carelessness. We’re faulty humans and it’s how we are wired.

For instance, I have a great memory for history, but the slot in my brain which remembers people’s names is terrible. You have a better chance of my remembering your name if you’re a 3000 year old historical figure from ancient Mesopotamia than if you come to church for a month. I don’t know why!!!

We all need reminders. Memorials are reminders and they are found all through the Bible. And not just physical memorials like we see in the Old Testament lesson. All through the writings of Moses, we’re told to remember certain events in terms of God saving and redeeming His people, and to do it at very specific times of the Calendar Year. Our Church Year is not an exclusively Christian thing, but the lectionary is something that the church kept from its Jewish roots, just filling the year with events from the New Testament.

Today, we saw an interesting memorial which was erected when Joshua led the people of Israel through the Jordan River. And one of the first things Joshua does, under God’s Direction, is make a memorial of stones from the riverbed.

The memorial points back to all of God’s faithfulness – First under Moses, and now through Joshua. Just like then, in our Christian walk today, memorials a vital role in anchoring our faith, teaching future generations, and glorifying God.

First, Memorials Remind Us of God’s Faithfulness

In verse 7 of Joshua 4, Joshua says the stones should be a memorial forever for God’s people. The intention was that every time they saw those stones, they’d remember: God stopped the river for us. He brought us into the land He promised. These stones were a meant to fight the human tendency to forget how God constantly watches over us with His love and help.

We see this forgetfulness throughout Scripture—How quickly the Israelites grumbled after the Red Sea parted. How quickly Peter betrayed Jesus after the Last Supper, after promising never to do it. Memorials pull us back. Today, we have our own memorials:

• Easter reminds us of Jesus’ victory over death.

• Communion brings us back to His broken body and shed blood.

In our lives, we too need memorials to recall God’s faithfulness. Maybe it’s a journal where you’ve recorded God’s blessings and answered prayers, a cross on your wall, and certainly the act of gathering for worship each Sunday. These memorials point us back to God’s unchanging character.

Second, Memorials Teach Future Generations

In Joshua 4:21-22, Joshua explains the purpose of the memorial: “In the future when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord.”

The stones were not just for the generation that crossed the Jordan but for their children and grandchildren, and for us today. They were a teaching tool, a way to pass down the story of God’s mighty acts.

As Christians, we are called to share the story of God’s work in our lives with others. Memorials—whether reading the Bible or praying together at certain times of the day, build up reminders of God’s grace. St. Paul says that when we celebrate communion, we proclaim Christ’s death and resurrection “until He comes.” One of the nice things about using the older vessels distributing communion that we do, is that it’s the same ones used for decades, used by Pastor Ron and Russ Smith and Bill and Larry and Tom. These memorials remind us we have been passed down a faith and pass it down to others.

Obviously, the reflection here is to ask how we are passing along our faith? Who do you share stories of God’s goodness with, in the hopes they will carry it to others? And how can I do this better!

Third, Memorials Glorify God

The memorial stones at Gilgal weren’t just for the Israelites; they were a witness to the world. Joshua 4:24 says that Joshua set up this memorial so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God. The stones declared God’s power to everyone who saw them, inviting awe and worship.