Ordinary Time 
Pause
God wants to be known. Across the ages since the beginning of creation, God has wanted to be made known in a real and personal way among humankind. Still today with us, God wants to be known.
In God’s great bigness and mighty justice, in swift glimpses we catch of Divine glory on display, in the life and witness of a community living their faith out loud, and in spite of all efforts to suppress the reality of God, God is made known.
How are you allowing God to be made known in your life today?
Listen
For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith in God has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it. For the people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming.
1 Thessalonians 1:8-10
Think
The faith of the Thessalonians was making ripples throughout the early world of Christianity. People had heard of how they had received the message of Jesus Christ with great power.
We may wonder how the Thessalonians became game changers for the Kingdom of God, while others, like the Corinthians, were still dealing with lots of issues (read 1 & 2 Corinthians to understand their community’s problems). You may ask yourself: what’s the difference between Bob and Jill in our youth group and me? They are game changers for Jesus in our school, but I don’t feel like I make an impact. What’s the difference?
We are told that the Thessalonian Christians made some tough choices with their faith. They “turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God.” Maybe we need to drop some of our personal idols to allow God to become fully known in our lives. If we do, then may it be said of us that “the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you,” and that we are game changers for God’s kingdom as well.
Jamie Mackey
Pray
Lord, help me to choose you this day above all else. May you be sounded forth from my life. Amen.
Go
Go in the presence of God.
Go in the fullness of God.
Go in the reality of God.
Go in the love, grace, mercy, and truth of God.
Go with God made known in your life.
