Teacher Devotions: Sacred Memory

Psalm 44: 1 We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago.

Podcast version here

Modern technology is absolutely amazing. For the last fifteen minutes, I’ve been watching the Scottish Health Secretary deliver her statement about the swine flu to the Scottish parliament. I couldn’t believe that I was watching it live on CNN, but that’s the beauty of the internet. Things that are happening now across the Atlantic Ocean can be heard and seen live on a computer over here. The world gets smaller each and everyday.

I loved listening to the real Scottish voices again. My own accent has changed over the years – I’ve softened it and slowed it down. My fellow Americans can’t detect the changes, but folks from the Auld Country can spot it a mile off. They can definitely hear an East Tennessee twang mixed with a Scottish burr.

Today’s psalm is all about communication, too, but not the live internet version. It’s all about how sacred memory is passed on from generation to generation. Tribal stories and folklore faith were transmitted across the centuries in order to convey a dependence upon God in times of trouble, crisis, and war. The prayers of the people, the psalms of their poets, and the utterances of their prophets and priests kept them connected to the One, True, and Living God. Their sense of belonging to God was sustained by their commitment, devotion, and loyalty. Today, we are the benefactors of their faithfulness and we continue carrying the torch of faith by retaining and sharing those sacred memories of long ago.

Prayer: Lord God, thank You for the faithfulness of countless numbers of people who have received and passed on their faith to us. Help us to continue this wonderful way of communicating faith to our families, our friends, and our community. In Christ’s Name, we lovingly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.