“From the Hart” Devotional for June 20, 2024

“Remembering Our Past”
by Julie Hart, Director of Connectional Ministries

“I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all that you have done;
I ponder the work of your hands.”
Psalm 143:5

The keynote speaker from last week’s Annual Conference, Dr. Ashley Boggan, spoke about the importance of looking back at our history as we are moving forward. She used the illustration of the Sankofa, a symbol usually portrayed as a bird, that reminds us to remember our past. In this image, you see a bird reaching back plucking an egg while still facing forward. Dr. Boggan spoke about this reaching back as a way of reclaiming that which may have been lost.

It seems counterintuitive to look back in order to move forward. But then again, it is in our past that the lessons we have learned reside. It is our past that holds our struggles, our victories, our memories. Perhaps the egg is a sort of roadmap to where we are headed. As Maya Angelou says: “You can’t really know where you are going until you know where you have been.”

Dr. Boggan spoke of reclaiming our stories, and the Bible is full of reminders to remember our past:
“Remember the former things of old…” ~ Isaiah 46:9
“Do this in remembrance of me…” ~1 Corinthians 1:24
“Then take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” ~Deuteronomy 6:12

So here we are with our feet pointing towards the future of what is to come in the next exciting season at Desert Spring. With a new pastor will come new ideas, new perspectives, and new gifts; and we know that it will be so so good. Being forward-looking is a part of our culture here at Desert Spring. We have always held on to the belief that our best days are ahead of us. Because of this, we will no doubt embrace Pastor Sharon as she leads us into the next great thing.

I have a few questions for you this week, but they are all centered around one big question: As we step forward into the future of Desert Spring, what eggs do we want to pluck from our past to bring with us?

Here are some questions that might help us to answer that:
What from our past have we forgotten?
What lessons have we learned?
How has God used us to bless others?
How have we been and made disciples?
Where did we get it wrong and what did we learn from that?
Where have we seen God at work?

In the Sankofa, it is an egg that is being reached for. It is said that the egg represents the “gems” from our past. But the egg is also a symbol of new birth and new beginnings. So how can the egg represent both the past and the future? Perhaps the egg that is being reached for is something that has been incubating and is ready to be hatched. Eggs are fragile, so we must carry them forward with great care. We must treasure the gems from our past and hold on to them in the same way that we hold onto God.

PRAYER:
Gracious and most wise God,
We come to you perched toward a future that you have in store for us, while holding tightly to the rich blessings of our past, fully aware that you are in it all. We know that your grace abounds and we long to be faithful to our church and community while also remaining obedient to you. Help us honor and recognize the blessings of our past as we embrace what lies ahead in our future.
Amen.

To watch Dr. Ashly Boogan’s entire keynote speech/sermon, go to:
A Call to United Methodist Renewal with Dr. Ashley Boggan (VIDEO)