Paul encourages the church in Thessalonica, giving thanks for its growth in faith and the community’s love for one another, despite the persecutions they endure. He assures them of his constant prayers that they will continue to act out their faith and show themselves worthy of God’s calling.

In his second letter to the church in Thessalonica, Paul praises God at work in their lives, which he is not ashamed to boast about to other churches. When Zacchaeus meets Jesus, he is changed from a thief to a generous benefactor, a life worth celebrating. Today we celebrate each other and how God is working among us.