Scripture Text (NRSV)
1:1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in
God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ.
1:3 We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters,
as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of
everyone of you for one another is increasing.
1:4 Therefore we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for
your steadfastness and faith during all your persecutions and the
afflictions that you are enduring.
1:11 To this end we always pray for you, asking that our God will make
you worthy of his call and will fulfill by his power every good
resolve and work of faith,
1:12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and
you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus
Christ.
Comments:
The phrase, "Worthy of his Call", caught my attention. Many ministers
wrestle with a sense of being unworthy. To balance a sense of humility
over one's unworthiness with the sense that I can do all things
through Christ who strengthens me is the challenge I face each day. TN
Mack
"the love of everyone of you for one another is increasing" -- this is
true of most congregations, even some of the most frustrating ones.
How often do we recognize this, and how often do we praise them and
boast about them... about this thing or any thing? I intend to do it
in this week's message.
I think it's important to notice that it is God who makes us worthy of
his call... not we who do it. That sure has a lot of implications for
the ministry of both ordained and lay.
Anyone else doing All Saint's Sunday this Sunday, even though the
actual day will be Thursday? This would be a good text to use - its
emphasis on God's calling and our using our lives for Christ's work,
regardless of whether we're ordained.
Sally in GA
I'm doing All Saints this Sunday. And preaching on this text. I plan
to use it as a celebration of the saints who have gone on before us,
but also as a celebration of the saints who are still with us. [PhillyDan,
who also did the two earlier unsigned shorties]
I going to preach a Home Comming in Florida this week. Please pray for
me. This is a congregation that has plenty of love and fits these
verses real well. I often brag about them. It will be good to see how
all the children have grown they were all small when I was there. I'm
thinking of preaching on "Who Do You Think You Are" and contrast what
the Bible says and what the World says. Harold in Alabama
Sally ion GA,
I'm using this text in connection with the Luke 19 passage. "Saints
Like Us?" is the title. Isn't it interesting how God uses the most
unlikely of folks to be His Saints? Zach -- the wee, little man (as
the song suggests) Saul -- the religious zealot (of terror-maker to
the early Christians).
What of the saints that have gone before us, even those hwo have died
inthe last year? They are not perfect, if the truth be known. But,
they did/do have a witness, as referenced in Heb. 11.
SELoftis in NC
We are celebrating All Saints day this sunday. I am using this
scripture as part of the call to prayer. Using Sweet Hour of Prayer,
before it. There are two new songs in "the faith we sing I am using as
part of communion. #2269 Come Share the Lord before and #2264 Come to
the Table before serving. Also using hymn 712 before the reading of
the names. I also split Habakkuk into two portion with a litany of
perseverence in the middle. Spliting at 2:2. Not sure how that will
mesh yet. nancy-wi
I too am looking to tie this passage in with All Saints Sunday. It
also has something to say about the process of selecting lay
leadership for the upcoming year. The current leadership must be
inspired by that of the past, and at the same time consider the call
of God into the future. Key deaths often times leaves leadership voids
where other persons must come and stand in the gap. Both lay and
clergy leadership should be challenged by Paul's words to the
Thessalonians. TN Mack
Thanks for the work here I am using this as a meditation for Church
conference. Hope this helps someone else. Nancy-Wi
