"Looking Forward"
A short talk given by Rev. Rona Young at our recent Carol Services
This is taken from the book, “Be still and know” by Dennis Duncan.
It is based on the words of Paul in his letter to the Philippians chapter 3:13, “The one thing I do, is to forget what is behind me, and do my best to reach to what is ahead. So I run straight towards the goal, in order to win the prize, which is God’s call through Christ Jesus, to the life above.”
As the bells ring out at midnight on 31 December, we move into the year 2015. Are you looking forward to 2015?
This statement by Paul, speaks about the aim and the purpose of our spiritual journey.
Paul cannot be asking us to forget everything in the past. To wipe out our experience, deny tradition, to forget happy memories – and to ignore our mistakes – would constitute a great loss.
What Paul is seeking to do, is to ensure we get our perspective on life correct. We cannot change the past, but we can shape the future.
It is therefore, the part of the journey that is to come, that matters most and we are to keep our eyes facing forward. Whether we are young, middle-aged to, what Canadians call seniors, at whatever stage in life we are, we are to keep looking forward.
The encouragement to do this, comes from elderly people, who have always looked ahead with great enthusiasm. A former Lord Chief Justice of Canada, Sir William Mulock, commented on his 90th birthday, “The best is yet to be, hidden beyond the hills of time.”
And, Carol Jeffrey, a psychotherapist, looked forward to her first book being published – age 93!
Christian hope is not superficial optimism. It is a “sure and certain hope” founded on the providence of God, who is active in history, and present with us, if we are suffering.
We are therefore “To run straight towards the goal” in God’s purpose for our lives, assured it is not our weak hold on God that is important, but his “mighty grasp” of us.
Let us enter 2015 in confidence and faith.
A short talk given by Rev. Rona Young at our recent Carol Services
This is taken from the book, “Be still and know” by Dennis Duncan.
It is based on the words of Paul in his letter to the Philippians chapter 3:13, “The one thing I do, is to forget what is behind me, and do my best to reach to what is ahead. So I run straight towards the goal, in order to win the prize, which is God’s call through Christ Jesus, to the life above.”
As the bells ring out at midnight on 31 December, we move into the year 2015. Are you looking forward to 2015?
This statement by Paul, speaks about the aim and the purpose of our spiritual journey.
Paul cannot be asking us to forget everything in the past. To wipe out our experience, deny tradition, to forget happy memories – and to ignore our mistakes – would constitute a great loss.
What Paul is seeking to do, is to ensure we get our perspective on life correct. We cannot change the past, but we can shape the future.
It is therefore, the part of the journey that is to come, that matters most and we are to keep our eyes facing forward. Whether we are young, middle-aged to, what Canadians call seniors, at whatever stage in life we are, we are to keep looking forward.
The encouragement to do this, comes from elderly people, who have always looked ahead with great enthusiasm. A former Lord Chief Justice of Canada, Sir William Mulock, commented on his 90th birthday, “The best is yet to be, hidden beyond the hills of time.”
And, Carol Jeffrey, a psychotherapist, looked forward to her first book being published – age 93!
Christian hope is not superficial optimism. It is a “sure and certain hope” founded on the providence of God, who is active in history, and present with us, if we are suffering.
We are therefore “To run straight towards the goal” in God’s purpose for our lives, assured it is not our weak hold on God that is important, but his “mighty grasp” of us.
Let us enter 2015 in confidence and faith.
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