“Remembering”

By Rev. Michael Stonhouse

Meditation – Monday, May 26, 2025

Psalm 80 (Forward, p. 28) CEV p. 604

When is remembering simply an exercise in nostalgia, a harkening back to the ‘golden years’, a time when ‘things were different’, and when is it a call for renewal, a call for change?

Asaph recalls a time when the northern kingdom seemed especially esteemed and honoured by God. He uses the image of a grapevine that was transplanted in a new location and provided with all the conditions needed for it to flourish. But then, something happened: the walls of protection were torn down which meant that anyone could plunder the grapes, yes, even to wild pigs and other creatures. Furthermore, the vine was even chopped down and set on fire. So much for God’s favour!

So, what is Asaph’s response? What does he see as the answer? It is in a wholesale return to the Lord amid a sincere and very real prayer for God’s help and deliverance. He prays that his country will experience a rebirth: ‘put new life in us’, he says. He prays, “Our God, make us strong again! Smile on us and save us” (verses 3, 19).

And might not these be our needed responses today as well. Over the years I have heard people expressing fond memories of ‘the good, old days’, ‘the golden years’ when the church was full and there were an abundant of youth and children in our Sunday schools and youth programs. And certainly, we have all heard about the glory days in our nation when laws were respected, and decency and moral behaviour were expected. And, of course, inherent in both sentiments is that we would love to have them return. Maybe this will be, and maybe not, but one thing we can do is to follow Asaph’s lead and advice: to turn our attention, and our wills, back to God, and sincerely and ardently ask for His help and direction. I am convinced that were we to do this, collectively, earnestly, and persistently, things would change, and change for the better. Amen.

Forward notes: “Restore us, O God of hosts; show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved (verse 3).

“When I was in the third grade, I finally succeeded, after a prolonged campaign, to convince my parents to let me walk the half mile to and from school. On the morning of the walk, I was more than a bit proud of myself that, just as I had assured my parents, nothing had gone wrong. I had managed to get to school just fine.

“When the end of the day arrived, I absentmindedly marched to the place where I usually waited for one of my parents to pick me up. I had forgotten about my plan to walk to—and from—school. The crowd thinned until I was alone. I was terrified. I was angry. I felt abandoned.

“After what felt like an eternity, my father showed up. He asked if I was okay and took me home. I didn’t know what relief really felt like until then. I had been saved. After we got home, he reminded me that the only reason I had waited so long was that I had insisted on walking to and from school.”

Moving Forward: “Have you ever insisted that you could do something by yourself, only to realize that you needed the support of God and others?”