And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father and the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
Amid the struggles of the early church, Paul offers words that he has chosen with great care and love in order to encourage and sustain the community. It is clear that these Thessalonian friends have been a tremendous source of blessing to Paul because of their faithfulness and their care for him and for his companions in ministry. He offers these words -- and this whole letter -- as a blessing to them in return. And that's how blessings work: we offer them in recognition of the gifts we have received, and in hope of passing these gifts along, that others may flourish.
Paul offers us a powerful blessing and challenge to take with us into the coming weeks. As we enter the season of Advent this Sunday, Paul's words beckon us to ask, what blessings have we received? What blessings might we need for our journey through Advent? Who in our lives might be in need of a blessing that we can offer, and how will we offer it? In word, in action, what can we give to another that will honor our inexplicable, inextricable connection and will sustain them on the path ahead?
This is part of a series of Advent reflections by Jan Richardson available on the Mainline Protestant Portal at Patheos in the coming weeks.
Jan Richardson is a writer, artist, minister, and director of a company called The Wellspring Studio, LLC. Her favorite projects are those that intertwine words and images, including her small press, Wanton Gospeller Press, through which she designs and hand-binds books that incorporate her art and writing. Visit her virtual studio at janrichardson.com. Her two blogs are The Painted Prayerbook and The Advent Door.
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