Photo Credit: Ashley Fraser, Ottawa Citizen, 2015

I was amused by an article in the Globe and Mail recently in which a novice runner enrolled in a 5K run, missed the exit, and continued to eventually complete the half marathon – the surprise, the exhaustion, the exhilaration! http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/facts-and-arguments/i-took-the-wrong-marathon-route-but-learned-something-about-myself-on-theway/article34400787/

For Christians, there is a similar exhaustion and exhilaration, but little surprise – we know we are in for a full marathon from the start line. ‘Follow me’ our Lord says, without boundaries of time or distance. The theological doctrine of justification (that by the incarnation, life, death and resurrection of Jesus we were wondrously put right before God) is counter-balanced by the doctrine of sanctification (that the journey of becoming God’s people by the work of the Holy Spirit is long and challenging).

What keeps Christians persevering in the way of Christ? Two answers are highlighted in this Sunday’s readings from the Letter to the Hebrews (Chapter 12). One points to the cheering of the crowds who line the way –  ‘so great a cloud of witnesses’ who by their faith and life in Christ now provide us with example and encouragement along the way. The other points to the fact that the course has an end – a finish line that is none other than ‘the city of the living God’, reminding us that we are of origin and of destiny. Exhilarating indeed!

Join us in the worship of God this Sunday if you are in the area. You would be welcome. There is available during the service a nursery for infants and a programme for children. There is free parking along the streets around the church, and in the public surface lot just behind the church off Queen Street. Be sure to have a look at the announcements found within the Order of Service, and consider each a personal invitation to grow in Christian faith, community and service … with us!

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