Memorial Stones

Last week I did a sermon about teaching the next generation. One of passages I used was Joshua 4:1-7, where they were told to take 12 stones from the Jordan as they crossed and make a memorial to remind future generations what God had done for Israel. I wanted our people to remember this lesson, so I had 12 people bring up a stone and put it on our communion table and talked about teaching the generations after us what God has done for us. it was a quiet moment, a thoughtful moment. I asked the church to think about whether we are building memorial stones for our children.

As I watched them, the dual lesson of putting those stones on the communion table struck me. The purpose of the Lord’s Supper is a memorial for what God has done for us. That special ceremony is our memorial stones. Not only should we be teaching our children what God as done in general, but we also need to teach them to remember the incredible love and sacrifice that the Lord’s Supper commemorates. the Stones and the communion side by side over the phrase, “do this in remembrance of me”. Are we doing our job as parents, teachers, church leaders, older generations? Will our children stay connected to God because we showed them how important that is? Will the Lord’s Supper be more than an empty ritual? Will it claim its rightful spot as the key reminder what the Lord has done for us? Chew on those questions for a while after reading this article.

Teach your children, remind yourself, what the Lord has done for you. Live your best life for God, never forgetting the blessings he has given you. The most important one is salvation.

Psalm 98:1 (NLT) — 1 Sing a new song to the Lord, for he has done wonderful deeds. His right hand has won a mighty victory; his holy arm has shown his saving power!