Today we look at a letter that Paul the Apostle wrote – in fact, this is the oldest letter we have that Paul wrote, and therefore it is also the oldest book in the New Testament.

Paul is writing to the church at Thessalonica, a church which Paul founded less than a year earlier. Thessalonica was a port on the Aegean Sea, in north-east Greece. Paul is writing to this new church from Corinth, another city in the south of Greece. He is writing because they are anxious that he has not returned to them, and because they have experienced struggles as they have turned from the prevailing worship of Romans gods to embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ.

42They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. 44All who believed were together and had all things in common; 45they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, 47praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved. (Acts 2)

In our reading for today, Paul tells us that the same thing was happening in Greece, in Thessalonica. The infant church there faced enormous struggles. The worship of the Roman pantheon of Gods was firmly entrenched, it was what was expected, it was central to acceptance in society. Layered on top of this was the growing worship of the Roman emperor as a God, meaning not only that it was dangerous to worship Jesus Christ as Lord, but also politically disastrous for those seeking careers in government service. And yet, despite all this, the word of God had taken root in these folk, not just in the sense of it being a philosophy that made sense intellectually, but also in making a real difference in how they lived their lives day to day. Paul writes about not just their work, but their work of faith; not just their labor, but their labor of love; not just their steadfastness, but their steadfast of hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. And overarching all, a sense of deep and abiding joy. Imbued with the knowledge of God’s saving love for us made known through Jesus Christ, these believers lead new lives that enrich not only themselves, but also all those who witness was is going on in and among them. And so they become examples for others through Greece, living messages of faith.

We, in our time, also face struggles. Certainly the events of the past few weeks have caused many of to reassess our pursuit of the good life, (in the sense of getting all the material goods one can get), and ponder anew the quest for the life that is good (that is, life that provides meaning). And like that tiny church in Thessalonica long ago, we are not so big, and we increasingly find ourselves in a culture hostile to many of the values we hold dear. And so in what ways, we might ask, are we already the message of faith for others, in what ways do we as individuals and a church community serve as witnesses to others, as models to be imitated, as living messages? In what ways might we, already, be showing forth in our living how we have turned to serve a living and true God? In what ways have faith, hope and love been made so much a part of us that God’s message shines joyously forth in our lives?

You might be tempted to say, “Who, us, here?” If so, let me tell you a story from my youth, something which I suspect may have happened with you. When I was young my parents always had a New Year’s Day brunch, an opportunity to have all their friends over for a party, to eat eggs Benedict and enjoy my father’s famous milk punch and watch some football and catch up with one another. The guests, many of whom I had not seen in a year, would invariably track me down to say hello, and would express surprise at how much I had grown. But it never occurred to me that I had grown – it was just how I was. It is often the same for us in our individual lives and in our life together as a church community – it takes an outsider or a newcomer to make us realize that we have changed, that we were different.

So let me take on that role for a moment, and hold up for you some incidents from just this past week to help you realize how you, how this gathered faith community, are being fashioned into a living message of God’s love. I think of the Women’s Guild meeting at the church on Tuesday, when you gathered together for cake and tea and a presentation about the founding of A Baby Center in Hyannis. It was an occasion for fellowship and conversation and connecting with one another, but it wasn’t just about you – you brought diapers to be given to A Baby Center, you reached out in love to young families in need who you likely will never even have a chance to meet. I think of worship last Sunday morning, when the choir had three new voices singing with power and beauty, when the bell choir welcomed a new ringer for the service, and then at coffee hour reached out to encourage other members of the congregation to give bell ringing a try. I think of our Monday morning Bible Study, where we have the faithful attendance of a young woman who is not a member of this church and cannot be with us on Sundays, but who is drawn to our open welcome and the spiritual engagement she finds among us. I think of the meeting of the Women in the Spirit group Tuesday evening, when seventeen of you, including three first-timers, gathered at Lynn and Randy Parker’s home to share childhood pictures and memories and conversation about growth in faith. I think of that delicious Sri Lanka dinner hosted by Rebecca Scott and the Board of Outreach on Sunday night – the food was amazing, the room was full and festive, over $700 was raised for relief for Myanmar, we talked together about our mission partnership in Sri Lanka, and best of all, we had a number of people from beyond the congregation who came and were thoroughly impressed by what they saw and heard and enjoyed. All this, in just one week.

Just like that infant church in Thessalonica long ago, we face struggles. But in a time when the economic sages tell us to cash out and horde, you dig deep to share; when the political pundits tell us that the path to power lies in division and negativity, you open wide arms of welcome and imitate the Lord of all hopefulness; when Chicken Little says the sky is falling so run back to your castle, pull up the drawbridge and hunker down, you gather together to sing praises to the One who not only promises life, but life abundant – and you not only hope for that life to come some day down the road, you live that life here and now. You are being fashioned into a living message, embodying the virtues of faith, hope and love, joyously being the good news of Jesus Christ.

Today, little Wyatt and Aubrey have been welcomed into this family of faith, have joined us as fellow voyagers on this epic journey of faith, have already begun what we hope will be a life-long process of being formed into living messages of God’s love. May they, and may we, turn to serve the living and true God, be open to the unstoppable word, and so become living messages of faith, hope and love. Amen.