Helen Harray, 17 June 2014

Yeh, nah- not possible. But Helen you say isn’t that what Paul is saying in Philippians 3: 13: forgetting the past and
straining forward toward what is ahead…I press on. Can’t I just move on? Well maybe, but it’s clear that he has not forgotten his past! Is that really possible? Just read the first verses of chapter 3 as he describes his pedigree and what he did as a zealous crusader for the Jewish Law. The difference now is that he is able to be honest about his past from a new perspective and he does not allow it to encumber him as he strives for what lies ahead. He has a whole new way of thinking about the past and of living in the present, looking forward to the future from the perspective of being ‘found in Christ.’
Pressing on is hugely important but not always possible if the past has not been reframed and healed. Ever wondered why you go around the mountain repeating the same mistakes and reliving the same old feelings and wondering why this God-thing Paul talks about so enthusiastically doesn’t work for you? Groundhog Days over and over.
Well the simple truth is, just like you can’t fix your own teeth, you need someone to teach you the skills of extracting the misbeliefs and conclusions you have come to as a result of past relationships and incidents and then holding a space for Jesus to meet with you. And when through the presence and truth of Christ bringing insight to the ‘little person’ the past is reframed and healed, it loses its potency to drive us. We then remember without the pain and we can start to go forward finding joy in Christ in a whole new way. There are several in this congregation who can help hold this space for you. But it may mean not shoving the problem down any longer and being vulnerable to trust a friend in Christ.