Hymn: “According to Thy Gracious Word” – James Montgomery (1771-1854)
Common Tune: AVON
Being a person fascinated with words, my ears and mind were piqued recently when I was came across a new insight into an old word: anamnesis. This is a term theologians toss around that means the act of remembering, especially related to the Eucharist. This hymn as a matter of fact is a communion hymn whose final words in each stanza are “remember thee.”
Anamnesis is the opposite of amnesia – the state of not being able to remember anything. More than just remembering, amamnesis is best described as “not being able not to remember.” You have to chew on that for a minute because its emphasis is based in the double negative.
For those of us who are bound for the Kingdom through the life, death, burial, resurrection and reign of Christ, we suffer from anamnesia because no matter how hard we might try, we simply cannot forget the magnificent significance of all that. I’ve never tried to forget, of course – because I have no desire to erase that from my mind.
My adherence to the doctrine of the security of the believer is probably related to this. My inability to forget keeps me securely tethered to the hem of his sacred, seamless dress. “My anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock” partly because I can’t help remembering.
With James Montgomery, I agree: “I MUST remember thee.”
A contemporary Scottish setting of this text
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