Sermon
We Will Remember
Theme
Remembering September 11, 2001 and remembering Christ's death on the cross.
Object
"Remembrance Ribbons" - enough for each child, if possible. (If you want to make ribbons out of paper, you can find a pattern for a ribbon on the Christian Crafter's web site. See below.)
Scripture
The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. 1 Corinthians 23-26
I am sure that most of you have seen one of these ribbons. Many people are wearing these red, white and blue ribbons right now as a way to help them to remember what happened on September 11, 2001. These ribbons help us to remember the people who died in New York City, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania during terrorist attacks against our nation and it reminds us to pray for their friends and families. It also reminds us to pray for those who are still working to clean up the sites of these terrible tragedies and recover the bodies of those who died there. The ribbon also reminds us to pray for our nation and for our President as he leads us. This ribbon is a very special way to help us to remember what happened on September 11th.
Jesus has also given us a very special way to help us remember him and what he has done for us by his death on the cross. On the night before Jesus was betrayed, he met together with his disciples for a final meal. As he sat at the table with his disciples, Jesus took a piece of bread and broke it. He said, "This is my body which is broken for you. Eat this in remembrance of me." Then he took a glass of wine and said, "This is my blood which is shed for you. Drink it in remembrance of me." We still use the bread and wine as a way to remember what Jesus did for us when he died on the cross. The Bible also tells us that when we do this, we are telling others about Jesus' death. Just as wearing a ribbon is a good way to tell others that we remember what happened on September 11th, the bread and wine are a good way to tell others about Jesus.
Dear Jesus, we pause today to remember the tragic events of September 11th and to pray for the families of those who died. We also pause to remember your death on the cross which gives us life.
