Today we celebrate the national holiday called Memorial Day, first  observed in 1868. It is a day established for us to remember all members of  the United States military who gave their lives protecting our freedoms and  rights as citizens of the United States of America. Originally observed each  year on May 30th, its observance changed in 1971 to the last Monday of each  May. When I was growing up in the 50’s and 60’s, our family would take this  holiday to visit the graves of fallen soldiers where we lived and my parents  would tell us the importance of remembering what these men and women  sacrificed so that we could live with the rights and privileges guaranteed by  our Constitution and Bill of Rights. We often had a picnic afterwards but the  emphasis of that day was to think about the families who lost sons and  daughters, wives and husbands, and how important it was to remember their  sacrifice, and pledge our allegiance to uphold and appreciate the freedoms  they fought and gave their lives for. My parents told us to never forget  about the brave men and women who died while serving in our military so that  we could enjoy living in America, and to think about each one lying in those  graves, decorated with flowers and American flags, and listen to their cries on  Memorial Day—“Do This In Remembrance Of Me”. It’s 2023—what does  Memorial Day mean to you? Are you passing on its importance to the next  generation?  

 There is a memorial tradition in our churches that preach the Gospel and  follow the instructions of God’s Word. It is called communion or The Lord’s  Supper. Our church observes this on the first Sunday of every month in the  morning service and on the 5th Sunday of any month in the evening service.  Jesus Himself instituted and established this observance to remind His church  that He sacrificed His life to pay the penalty for our sins and then rose up  from the grave three days later to secure, and assure, eternal life for all who  were willing to receive His gift of forgiveness and everlasting life. I Corintians  15:1-4 “Moreover, bretren, I declare unto you te gospel which I preached unto you, which  also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory  what I preached unt you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unt you first of al tat which I also received, how tat Christ died for our sins according to te scriptures; And  tat he was buried, and tat he rose again te tird day according t te scriptures”

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When Jesus started this memorial meal He said, “Do this in remembrance of  Me”. (Luke 22:19; I Corintians 11:24,25) When our Pastor celebrates this special  meal he always gives us a few moments of silent prayer to think about why we  are observing this tradition so our thoughts are on what Jesus did for us, not  where we are going after church or what is on the schedule for the coming  week. It’s 2023—Do you hear our Risen Savior crying from on high when you  participate in The Lord’s Supper, “Do this in remembrance of Me”? Are you  passing on its importance to the next generation?  

 There are many opportunities in life in which our actions can be  observed to be done “in remembrance” of someone dear to our hearts. Do you  have a wayward child, or grandchild, that “left home and faith” to live in the  world that rejects the faith we instilled in them? I do. When you think of  them, and pray for them, do you keep your heart tender towards them? The  father of the Prodigal Son, in Luke 15, did not go after his wayward son, but  he never stopped watching and waiting for him to come home. While he  waited, he continued to live the life he’d trained his sons to observe so that  when the prodigal chose to come home, he found his father still living the life  he’d seen before he turned away and left. His father was able to welcome  him home because he never forgot his love for this child that he had poured  his life into, and as he waited, watched, and prayed, he did what he did as  though he knew God would turn this child’s heart back to Him and to his  parents. He thought of his child daily and even though this child was no  longer part of his life, he could hear the cry of that child’s heart when he  would one day turn back hoping to see the life and testimony of his parents to  be the same as when he left. Are you living your life every day, while you  wait for your prodigal to come home, and teaching your family to also do so  “in remembrance” of them? Luke 15:20-24 “And he arose, and came t his fater. But  when he was yet a great way off, his fater saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fel on  his neck, and kissed him. And te son said unto him, Fater, I have sinned against heaven,  and in ty sight, and am no more worty to be caled ty son. But te fater said to his  servants, Bring forth te best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes  on his feet: And bring hiter te fated calf, and kil it; and let us eat, and be merry: For tis  my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And tey began t be merry.” 

 I will turn 75 this summer. I am still teaching Sunday School. For the  last 25 years I’ve taught 4th and 5th grade girls. I had much more energy  when I taught Sunday School at 16. When I consider passing the mantle on  to a younger teacher, I look at the world around me, outside our church, and  I fear for the future of the generations following mine. I’ve asked God to  make it clear when He wants me to let someone younger teach these sweet 

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girls and to give me needed grace, wisdom, and strength to teach them and  instruct them until that time. I use every Sunday school class to emphasize  what they will not be hearing in the world they live in, or if they attend a  public school, or ride our buses and do not have the privilege of growing up in  a God fearing home and family. I want them to know there’s joy in serving  Jesus. Believe me, my oldest daughter, Jaynee, who is turning 50 in June, and  my other qualified and adult helper, Linda, let these girls know every time  they come that God loves them, and there is joy and laughter found in serving  Jesus and yes, in living contrary to what the world values and says is  important. I love hearing them laugh—or gasp— when they find out how old I  am. On Mother’s Day, I was explaining the death, burial, and resurrection of  Jesus. I told the girls, as old as I am, I wasn’t there to see it, and had to  accept it by faith when it was told to me just like they do. My daughter,  spoke up and said, “Yes girls, my Mommee isn’t THAT old. She was born  about 150 years after Jesus returned to heaven.” I just smiled and said,  “Wow! I’ve aged well.” We have contests and in class including one where they  choose a “bone” from my guide dog, Wilbur’s, special cup, to see how many  pieces of candy they can get from our candy container. There is also a  “sheath” of “swords” with point values written at the end of each  “sword” (white plastic knives) for getting extra points in the contest. I have  written on one of the “bones”—“day of the week”, which could be as high as  31 pieces of candy, and on one of the “swords” it says—“Mrs. Smith’s age”— that is always a coveted one to choose. I emphasize hiding God’s Word in  their hearts, how to apply every lesson to their daily life, and always, always,  tell them how they can receive the GIFT of forgiveness and eternal life. I  want these girls to never forget how their OLD teacher, Mrs. Smith, served  God and passed on the faith and hope she lived, for their generation to  receive as their own, because there is joy in serving Jesus ALWAYS! I’ve  seen far too many girls become teenagers, or adults, and throw that faith and  joy away to see what the world might have to offer. Yet, I still run into  some of them years later in the community and they’ve never forgotten me  and will run up to me and say, “Mrs. Smith, do you remember me? I loved  your class! It was the best ever!” But will they remember my Jesus? Psalm  71:5-10,14-18 “For tou art my hope, O Lord GOD: tou art my tust fom my yout. By tee  have I been holden up fom te womb: tou art he tat tok me out of my moter’s bowels: my  praise shall be contnualy of tee. I am as a wonder unto many; but tou art my stong  refge. Let my mout be filed wit ty praise and wit ty honour al te day. Cast me not off in te tme of old age; forsake me not when my stengt failet. For mine enemies speak against  me; and tey tat lay wait for my soul take counsel tgeter,….But I wil hope contnualy, and 

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will yet praise tee more and more. My mouth shall shew forth ty rightousness and ty  salvaton al te day; for I know not te numbers tereof. I wil go in te stength of te Lord  GOD: I wil make menton of ty rightousness, even of tine only. O God, tou hast taught me  

fom my yout: and hitert have I declared ty wondrous works. Now also when I am old and  grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; untl I have shewed ty stengt unt tis generaton, and  ty power t every one tat is t come.” 

I want these girls to grow up and follow the same God we’ve sung about,  praised in our teaching, lived in our lives and secured for our future hope of  eternal life. I want them to hear me cry out one day,as I watch them from  heaven, serving God in their lives, “Do this in remembrance of me.”  

 If the soldiers we honor today came back and saw our country would  they think we “remembered” their sacrifice? When Jesus returns will He see  that we are still “remembering” His sacrifice? If our prodigals come home will  they know we “remembered” them and still loved them? Will those who come  behind us “remember” that we were faithful to sacrifice time and our own will  to be an example and testimony to them of the joy in serving Jesus? I still  do many of the chores my mother did, like ironing sheets and pillowcases,  because I “remember” how good it felt to sleep in clean and ironed bed linens.  I still go to church faithfully because I “remember” my parents taking us  children to church whenever the doors were open. I have carried on family  traditions to connect our children to the families we are part of who have  since passed from this life. I want my children to always “remember” that  they would find me reading the Bible and praying when they got up each  morning. I still do that and now my grandchildren observe this. I have strived  to show compassion, kindness, patience, love, and other fruits of the Holy  Spirit so my children/grandchildren will do the same as they live their lives.  Above all I want them to know I do what I do only through the strength that  Jesus gives for fulfilling God’s will and purpose in my life. I want them to  follow the Savior because they saw me do the same, and to hear me shouting  from heaven, while they finish their race, “Do this in remembrance of Him!” II  Petr 1:12-15 “Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of tese  tings, tough ye know tem, and be established in te present tut. Yea, I tink it meet, as  long as I am in tis tabernacle, t str you up by puting you in remembrance; Knowing tat  shortly I must put off tis my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.  Moreover I wil endeavour tat ye may be able aftr my decease t have tese tings always in  remembrance.” 

It’s Memorial Day—Happy Remembrance Day!