On Sunday, we continued our study of Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians, focusing on the end of Paul's extensive opening section. In it, the apostle writes of how he longs to see them, but how happy he is to hear Timothy's glowing report about them. Paul seems to focus on their response to persecution and their ability to encourage each other through such challenges.
In my sermon, I emphasized two things. First, it is also necessary for us to encourage each other through life's challenges. More than this, though, Christians need to be willing to face challenges in order to live out their faith. One cannot be a peacemaker unless one tries to make peace, for example, but doing so opens a person up to criticism from multiple sources. In the afternoon, I amused myself by imagining that the sermon's subtitle should have been: "In Defense of Christian Meddling."
If you missed Sunday's sermon, if you'd like to listen to it again, of if you'd like to share it with other, you can find an audio recording here.
You can also listen to the related Communion meditation.
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