Joy, Part 3 // The Rev. Sally Campbell-Evans // January 16, 2022

Paul’s most vivid and encouraging word in Philippians is in verses 13 and 14: “Brothers and sisters, I myself don’t think I’ve reached it, but I do this one thing: I forget about the things behind me and reach out for the things ahead of me. The goal I pursue is the prize of God’s upward call in Christ Jesus.” The Bible sometimes uses the metaphor of a race to depict the spiritual life (Hebrews 12), but none is more vibrant than this one. We can imagine the spiritual life as a marathon, replete with hills and potholes and inclement conditions. But Paul calls us to “press on” and not give up. The source of that endurance comes from an “upward call,” which is to say that we should keep our head up and our eyes fixed on Jesus, who enables us to move on, one step at a time.