Let Us Remember
I wrote this song as a response to this quote:
Robert Webber, "Ancient Future Worship"
"Biblical remembering makes the power and the saving effect of the event present to the worshipping community. . . . God loves our worship when we remember his saving deeds in Jesus Christ. Our worship tells that old, old, story. That's the story God gave the world, and that story is the content of worship. Through worship the world learns its own story. And how will others hear unless we do God's story in worship, calling people to remember God's story? …Forgetting brings death, but remembering brings life."
The truth that retelling stories allows God's past saving events to become present to us in the now, as well as giving us a vision for the future is a beautiful thought.
The verses focus in on our fallen state. I used four descriptions to expand on the thought: forgetfulness, doubt, regression, and digression. A clear parallel is always Israel in the wilderness. God is so faithful to provide miracle after miracle, sign after sign, but Israel's response is primarily grumbling and complaining followed by more of the same. I compare us to dogs returning to their vomit, and a people who settle for less because they forget.
The chorus lifts the song a little by calling people to life their eyes to God and a greater Story. I didn't elaborate much. I picked God as Creator, Redeemer, as well as the One who will return. It was a little hard to pick the emphasis within the story, because there was so much to say.
The bridge offers a different feel in the song, offering us the imagery of the past being brought into the present by our remembering. This is probably my favorite part because of the images it stirs in my head. A people who remember and in turn are sent out to demonstrate and proclaim the things God spoke to them. I thought it was appropriate to use "Eucharist language" in speaking of this sending. I also used Jesus' words in Matthew 10: 27 to convey images of God speaking, and then us acting on his behalf, telling others the same story.