In Paul's first letter to the church in Thessalonica he is commending them for their strong faith and for their joy in the midst of suffering. In fact, he says towards the end of the first chapter that their faith is so evident and so widely known that he does not even need to mention it. That is a pretty powerful statement. Here is a church whose faith in Christ is so powerfully visible that everyone has heard about it. And he particularly references their joy in the midst of suffering.
The whole world is living through a difficult season right now. The world is more desperately in need of hope and joy than I think I have ever seen. And I believe this is the church's opportunity to shine. We are people of hope. We have the joy of the Lord even in the midst of struggle. We can share this with others by the way we live through this pandemic. Like the early church, if the Christ followers of today can live with joy and hope in the midst of such a difficult season, it will be a witness to all the world.
So I want to encourage us to shine the light of Christ in this dark time. Let those of us who claim the name of Jesus set the tone of what it means to embrace a life of hope and joy. May it be said of us, as it was of the church in Thessalonica, that our joy was so visible and our faith so evident that everyone around us knew about it. May our lives inspire hope in others in these dark times in a way that draws them to Christ. Let us shine in such a way that our friends, neighbors and co-workers cannot help but notice and give glory to God.
I also want to take a moment to thank and congratulate everyone who helped with the Rock Run Raiser this past weekend. In spite of having to adjust things for Covid, we still had a great turnout and raised thousands of dollars for local charities that are doing great and important work.
Finally, I want to remind us that this Friday we have an outreach event in Sandown. From 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. will be this year's Trunk or Treat. We've made adjustments to add Covid precautions which include registering for time slots. So if you are planning to attend, please click on this link and choose the time that you would like to go. We are also in need of extra volunteers this year in order to keep the process running smoothly and safely. We can use help with set-up at 3:00 pm and then with crossing guards, hosts and other help during the event. We also still have room for a few more trunks if you would like to decorate a trunk and join the fun. If you can help in any of these ways, please contact Kristen at kirsten@stmattumc.org by Thursday noon.
I look forward to us all being together in worship this Sunday either on-line or in person. Don’t forget that if you are joining us in person, we need you to RSVP at this link.
God Bless,
Pastor Steve