Wednesday, February 21, 2007

ON THE COMMUNION OF THE SAINTS IN GLORY...By Phil Ryken

Previous posts have mourned the passing of Al Groves, who taught Old Testament at Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia. I was blessed by a letter Al wrote to his friends, to be shared at the time of his funeral. The letter included these encouraging words:

"For most of my Christian life I have wanted to see Jesus face-to-face, to join in with the heavenly chorus in his presence around his royal throne and declare his praise in new ways. Something else has grown through the years: an abiding sense that this is not for me alone. Being with Jesus by myself is not what he wants nor is it what I want. To be there with you all, those he loves and those I have come to love, that is true joy. I have often thought of coming to heaven as Jesus standing at the finish line of a race awaiting those looking for him, trusting in him, pursuing him. But it isn't a race for me to finish first or alone. It has always been a race for us to finish together, arm in arm, having encouraged one another in faith."

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