Do This in Remembrance

Overview of Do This in Remembrance

The Church (and Israel before it) has always used rituals remind us of the great things of God. This sermon series helps you guide your congregation through Old and New Testament passages that help jog our memory about what is at God's heart.

The solution, promised first to Israel, and now to all, is divine heart surgery. Across the season of Lent, this sermon series helps you guide your congregation from diagnosis through the renewal of our hearts. Each guide in this series includes:

• AIM exegetical commentary on the text

• Insightful sermon illustrations

• Inspiring quotes

• Discussion questions

• Liturgical resources on themes in the passage

Created for Lent 2024. Texts are for RCL Year B and are suitable for non-lectionary preachers at any time.

TPW puts you in the driver's seat. We want you to approach God's Word, prayerfully listen to the Holy Spirit, and create a message for your congregation. We don’t offer ready-made sermons. Instead, we provide resources and inspiration to help you craft your own sermons and services.

Series Introduction

Casey and Rachel Clark

Ritual and Remembrance

Lent is both ritual and a call to remember. Ritual and rememberance and a common theme in the life of the church. Take for example the Lord’s Supper, a central practice of the church since its beginnings. Our Lord Jesus commanded his followers to “Do this in remembrance of me,” and ever since Christians have made it a habit, a ritual, to break bread and share the cup.

I made a new friend named Scott in 2015 when he started dating a dear friend of mine. My family got to know Scott very well over the years as he and my friend continued to date and then were married in 2018.

There are two things I want to tell you about Scott. First, in 2016 he was diagnosed with terminal cancer and given a prognosis of 5-7 years. Secondly, Scott loved Jesus and loved to celebrate communion. As an Anglican, he had the opportunity weekly to celebrate communion with his church family. Over the years, there were many times that my family would attend church with Scott when we visited, and other times where he and my friend would come to our church. I could always tell that Scott approached the Lord’s table with sincerity, joy, and gratefulness. It was so important to him. During the final stages of his cancer, his wife would give me updates on how Scott was doing—medication changes, his ability to rest, paint management, and receiving communion. Whenever possible, he loved to feast on the body and blood of Jesus, and it became even more of a lifeline during his final months. The Lord’s Supper was a gift—the gift of being told to remember. Remember Jesus’ sacrificial love for you. Remember you that you are forgiven. Remember that Jesus has given all for you.

Humanity Needs Reminders

Jesus knew human beings, knew our hearts, knew our propensity to forget. And so, the command to “Do this in remembrance of me” is a beautiful gift to us, meant for our good. We are a forgetful people. We get distracted. We are tempted to turn our eyes from God. But when we come to the table, we are invited to remember, to reflect, and to be renewed. We come to the Lord’s Table to receive and “stand with empty hands and palms turned upwards” (T.S. Eliot). We come to the Lord’s table to give thanks for all that we have and will receive.

The seasons of the church year, like Lent, are times that also help us to remember. In entering the season of Lent, year after year, we practice a time of intentional remembrance. We don’t remember in order to achieve something, to gain a reward from God, but rather because it is good for us. It is good to remember. We get to remember.

Coming with Empty Hands

Like at the table, during Lent we remember that we come with empty hands. We acknowledge our need and God’s great generosity as our Giver and Provider. The habits and practices of Lent can help us to live this liturgy of remembrance. These practices are not merely passive, because as we remember, we also respond. Our lives are marked by responses of repentance, worship, and gratitude as we remember the life and sacrifice of our Lord Jesus.

Each week during this Lenten series we work around the theme of “do this in remembrance.” We’ll simply ask, “In remembrance of what?” What have we forgotten of God’s character? What has slipped our minds and needs to be brought to the fore? And we’ll ask, “What must we do?” In what ways are we being called today to follow Jesus? As we remember back to Christ, where is he leading us ahead?

What is AIM Commentary?

AIM stands for Ancient context, the text through the lens of Jesus (Ἰησοῦς), and our Modern application.

Understanding the Ancient or original context of the passage is necessary to inform and guide our interpretation. We also believe along with the Reformers that the interpretation of the Ancient context of the Hebrew scripture for the church necessarily flows through its Lord, Jesus Christ. Furthermore, we affirm that the role of the preacher to bring the congregation from the Ancient context through Christ and to the Modern context, making the message real in our hearts and lives.