“We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.” 1 Thessalonians 1:2-7
The beginning of a new year feels like a turning point. We take time to look back and we take time to look forward. We remember the noteworthy events and people of the year gone by and we anticipate, often nervously, what we hope will happen in the year to come.
In many ways, the letters of Paul feel like such turning points. He normally begins with the traditional salutation and words of gratitude and praise. That is how he opens this first letter to the Thessalonians, the earliest letter Paul wrote, and thus the first “book” written in the New Testament. His gratitude for the church of the Thessalonians is rooted in their shared experiences reaching back to Paul’s initial work among them.
Later Paul will offer encouragement and more teaching – we’ll get to that later in the week – but for now, let’s allow Paul to help us open this new year with a sense of gratitude.
Do you remember your earliest introduction to the Christian faith? How was it shared? Through lullaby songs in the arms of your parents or grandparents? Through Sunday School classes with cut-out characters reenacting Bible stories on a felt board? Through Sunday morning worship where all the songs ended with “Amen” and you had to sit in your seat while the adults went forward for communion?
Were there adults outside of your family circle who were influential to you? Family friends or Sunday School teachers or youth leaders or pastors?
Did you share those experiences with a common group of friends? Did you have any special “friends in the faith” along the way who encouraged you or shared significant time during retreats or summer camp or other kinds of Christian gatherings?
If you are part of a Christian congregation or have been through the years, are there people there whom you have worked with, fellowshipped with, worshipped with, maybe cried or even argued with?
Thinking through all of this, remembering faces and places and events, however foggy and sketchy, is to feel gratitude. Gratitude for God’s love which comes to us through Christian community. Gratitude to know we are continuing to grow up in the faith. Gratitude for our role models. Gratitude for our stories.
Let us pray: Dear Lord, we begin this new year with a sense of deep gratitude for the ways you have touched our lives through other people. As you created community around Paul in Thessalonica, you have also created community around us through the years. For that, and so much more, we begin a new year by giving you our thanks. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Daily Devotions 
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