Remembering is an important theme of our faith story and our sacred texts. Throughout the Older Testament, God and the prophets remind the people over and over not to forget who they are -- a chosen people -- the ones God brought out of slavery and through the red sea and across the wilderness into a promised land. And in the Newer Testament and every time we share Holy Communion we are invited to remember: the night Jesus gathered, the time he was betrayed, all that he taught us about who he was and who God longs for us to be. Remember and do not forget.

This theme is explored beautifully in the poem below, which was written by Julie Kramer, a Lay Academy Faith Foundations 1 participant, in response to her own reading and reflection on Isaiah 40. The poem was one piece of the reflection paper Julie wrote following Dr. Carolyn Pressler's Lay Academy class on the Older Testament. Julie is a member of First Congregational UCC in Madison. May this poem be a blessing to all of us and a call for us to remember the God in whom we trust -- the one who calls to us -- remember and do not forget, you are my people and I am your God.

-Tisha

Remember

by Julie Kramer

Remember

The sweep of his hand

Naming the animals

Noah's ark

Plagues

Crossing the Red Sea

Remember

Remember

The golden calf

Commandments at Sinai

The land of milk and honey

David and Goliath

Remember

Remember

Samuel, come here

Anointing

Bathsheba

The temple at Jerusalem

Remember

Remember

Solomon's wisdom

Elijah and the prophets

The dry bones

Swords made into pruning hooks

Remember

Remember

Who you are

And to whom you belong

Tears made into joy

All comes around again

To the ground where it began

Remember