As well as Church commemorations in November, we also remember Guy Fawkes, Ed- mund King of the East Angles, the marriage of Princess Elizabeth to Philip and the top- pling of the Berlin wall. There’s a lot to remember in November!

Remembering is important as we get older so that we don’t forget those people and events that have formed and shaped our lives. Reminiscing - or indulging in enjoyable recollection - is good for our brains, it is beneficial for our mental health and can fend off loneliness. If you can, get together with someone today, a neighbour who lives alone perhaps, or maybe telephone a family member you haven’t spoken to for a while: share some stories, talk about the past, have a good laugh. Someone once said !Hearty laughter is a good way to jog internally without having to go outdoors.” That sounds very appealing to me!

      Remembering also keeps the past alive, and the things we learn from the past help us make a better job of the present and therefore give us a more promising future.
Jesus talked a lot about remembering in the Bible. Most significantly, he said “Remember me...every time you eat the bread and drink the wine”. Each Sunday we share in the Lord’s supper we share his story again, remembering his death, resurrection and promise of salvation. Keeping these past events alive in this way helps us live in the present with a contentment that transcends our circumstances, and with a hope that a future full of joy and laughter is on its way.