Sometimes we remember our past and relish the experiences, relationships, and emotions as they were–a part of the fabric of our lives, but something locked in the past. Sometimes we remember and celebrate the past because of its continuing impact in the present and future. These two kinds of remembering, remembering back and remembering forward, we do almost automatically based on the life situation.
On Thursday, I was in a meeting where we reviewed (remembered) the history of the work at the Baxter clinic over the past several years. Some of what we remembered is forever in the past and is only interesting history. But we also remembered so we could understand various dynamics and bring the helpful aspects of the past work foward into the future in a new agreement.
On Friday, Jan and I spent several hours with friends from Michigan. As we had lunch together, we remembered a shared history. Part of the time we remembered back and relished the past. More often we remembered forward with the goal of sharpening our faith and becoming better servants of God in the present and future.
These two options also exist for Christians today in the remembering of the Supper. Will we remember back or will we remember forward? Or can we do both?
Sometimes I hear the phrase, “Let our minds go back….to the cross.” Nothing wrong with remembering backward. It is healthy to try to grasp the pain and suffering Jesus endured on the cross. It is helpful to try to understand the impact on the disciples–the hesitancy, doubt, distancing following by joy and commitment. But let us not forget the other possibility.
As we surround the Table this day we should also be aware of remembering forward. To avoid crucifying the Son of God afresh in my life in the coming week, I bring the cross forward. It is ‘my’ cross in that it will make a difference in how I live my life this coming week.
With these two possibilities in mind, I pray that your worship in surrounding the Table this day will be especially meaningful. Nothing wrong with recognizing the cross as an event of 2000 years ago and “letting our minds go back.” May we also be aware that the cross event extends forward 2000 years into these last two months of 2012 and that it intersects our minds in the present time and in our future hopes and dreams.