conjectural navel gazing; jesus in lint form

sermon

I am working on my sermon for north shore. This will be my last as the intern there. This is bittersweet. It seems that much is these days.

This makes the sermon title I have chosen...well, it sorta chose me...even more appropriate.

The courage to remember. My scripture is the institution narrative. I Cor. 11:23-26.

23 For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, �This is my body that is for* you. Do this in remembrance of me.� 25In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, �This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.� 26For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord�s death until he comes.

There is no other scripture for the service this time. Usually I include as much of the lectionary for the day as North Shore's liturgy will allow. This time, I am taking a cue from Rev. Beecher Hicks. This is this passage that has called me. "Remebrance" is the word. This is the text for this Sunday's sermon: remembrance.

I dare not become sentimental. I dare not declare what is right and wrong memory. But I must declare that our remembering Christ is more than just an exercise of the greymatter. It is more than a casual recollection. No. It is, in stead, a re-entering the story. It is we who Christ remembers by giving us this institution. This is an ordinance, not a "blue law." Our remembrance is a grace from God. It puts all our recollections in the context of the upper room. Our acceptance, our participation, our adoration and even our betrayal is remembered...and it is for all these things that God's Son came to save us.

[cont?]

Posted by tripp at May 29, 2004 01:42 PM