And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:17)
Today, September 11th, is a day of remembrance for our country. We mark a tragedy that impacted nearly every aspect of how we function. Prior to September 11th, we didn't have restrictions on what you could bring into an airport terminal, there were no blockades in front of the Capital Building, and we didn't even know what a Terror Alert was. But then September 11th happened, and though most of you are too young, or were not born when the planes went into the Twin Towers or the Pentagon or the brave people overthrew the terrorists and crashed the plane in a field in Pennsylvania, your life has been impacted by that day.
We remember the events of that day, but more we remember the brave acts of sacrifice by a few which changed the world.
When Jesus had the Last Supper with his disciples, he knew the significance and he knew that this meal would be one reenacted for generations. He knew that the symbolism of the broken bread and the cup of wine would be beautiful imagery for his broken body and his blood spilled in sacrifice for each of us.
Just like when we take moments today to remember those who sacrificed their lives for something greater on September 11, 2001, each time we take the bread and the cup we are reminded of the tangible sacrifice Jesus made for each of us on the cross 2,000 years ago.
The events of September 11th motivated many in our country to live better lives - to focus more on others and on service than on themselves.
The events of the cross were much more transformative. The cross isn't merely a motivational tool. The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross is life changing, because with his sacrifice, he made eternal life possible for all.
Remembering is important; it gives us a foundation from which to build - a touchstone for things in our lives. But remembering should motivate living. When we remember the sacrifice - we should be motivated to live life to the fullest making that sacrifice worthwhile.
Today is a day of remembrance - how will you honor the sacrifices made for you?
Scripture
Luke 22:7-38
Fun Fact...Top Ten GUMY Memories...
#7 .... GUMY Preview night 2011...
GUMY Preview is a night when 2nd & 3rd graders are invited to join GUMY for one night only. Last spring we had 18 total youth (GUMYs & preGUMYs) join us for the evening. The lesson was about building your spiritual house.
The kids were given various cookies, candies, sticks, frosting, etc. to build their houses out of..they were split into teams of 2-3 and given a time limit of 20 minutes. I was super impressed with all of the different structures, and was just a little sad when we brought in a rain storm and a wind storm to see how solid their houses were. (I had made my house out of tile and putty).
All of their houses were destroyed, with the help of my dad, Margie Hamler and Rikki Meredith, and we were left with a mess of sticky sweet building material all over the floor and only my tile house standing. The imagery of building your house out of the solid foundation of Jesus was simple. But what was amazing is the teamwork I saw across the various ages. The older youth nurturing the younger kids. Helping to move them on to a deeper relationship with Jesus.
Question of the Day
What one day do you have the greatest memory of?
My greatest memory is the day I accepted Jesus. It was the day before my fifteenth birthday and it was a soggy, rather gross night - but God revealed himself to me in a whole new way. With my friend Jeff, we went forward and prayed to ask Jesus to be our savior. And later that night, speechless and sitting at the campfire, I looked at Kevin Teeters and he simply smiled at me and said, "Isn't it great?" In my whole life one sentence never has said so much. That is the greatest memory of my life.
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