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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