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In touch

Up-to-the-minute jumping-off points for sermons, linking the reading to the latest news and global issues

The Here and Now

How can we be more active in the kingdom of God on earth?  (2 Thess 3:6-13)

 

Context

It is/was the Children in Need Appeal Show on Friday 14 November. Established in 1980, the charity has been raising money to support disadvantaged children and young people most prominently through the annual telethon featuring the much-loved Pudsey Bear.

Every year people take on amazing feats to raise money and 2025 is no exception. It’s been inspiring to watch Sara Cox covering 135 miles in just 5 days in her attempt to return Pudsey Bear to Pudsey.

But, along with feats of endurance and the annual silliness, the Friday night programme showcases many of the different projects supported by the charity. In many ways the whole event reminds us all of the requirement to support people to live well in the here and now. The projects paid for by Children in Need are a vivid example of giving children and young people reasons to live and thrive, not to have to sit and wait, or to languish in hopelessness. The charity invites disadvantaged children and young people into a full life now! It’s proactive, not passive; its industrious not inactive; it’s about starting things and not ceasing.

Paul’s memo to the Thessalonians warns his readers against inactivity or in some translations ‘idleness’. In many ways he is speaking into a similar idea of the call to action and transformation Children in Need is making. But we are called by more than a charitable endeavour. We are called by God to live and to act in the world we find ourselves in. It’s part of being in God’s family in the here and now as well as the world to come. As Paul comments, it’s about living according to our teaching: living life to the full, being agents of change and transformation and actively bringing the hope we have in Christ to wherever we are here and now.  

 

Ideas for reflection

1. Play the Rend Collective song ‘Build Your Kingdom Here’. Invite people to use both the lyrics and the following questions to reflect on their lives in the here and now.

• How do we live our daily lives as part of the kingdom on earth?
• Are we motivated by our faith towards action?
• Which situations require us to make a choice to be less passive and more active?

2. Summarise all of the projects, events and different works people in the church are currently involved in day-to-day. Invite a couple of people to talk about the work they do as part of God’s active kingdom here on earth, or set up a series of mini interviews. Thank God and pray together for all that happens in your community.

 

Fiona Dorman is a freelance leadership consultant and mediator.

 

Check-in

Connecting faith with everyday, real-life issues for young people

When Youthscape and Tearfund researched young people’s views on the environment they found that over 90% of young people are concerned about climate change and that over 90% thought their church was not doing enough about it. It also found that they wanted to act but wanted help from adults in church to do so. As COP30 (the latest UN conference on climate change) happens in Brazil this week, now is a good time to re-double our efforts to steward the good creation that God has given us to look after and to partner with the young people in our churches to do so.

But why haven’t we done more up until now? Why does it seem so difficult to look after the world God has given us? Yes, governments and corporations have responsibilities, and climate change will be difficult to halt without action from them but why haven’t we changed what we do personally and as churches? There are of course all sorts of reasons but one is that looking after the planet is inconvenient. The easy way is not normally the environmentally friendly way.

In our passage today Paul warns against those who are lazy, who tire easily of doing good. One thing about such people is that they become a burden on others. In that instance the issue was people not working and then expecting others to give them food. But it isn’t at all a stretch to also see not looking after God’s world as (in part at least) laziness. Paul sets an example of not taking food but paying his way. Young people are looking for us to set an example too by not giving in to convenience. Let’s give them the example they want and need - let’s never tire of doing good in this way.

Dr Gareth Crispin is Tutor for Youth and Children's Ministry at Emmanuel Theological College.

 

Note from Roots If you would like to help mobilize and equip over 35,000 young people to care for creation please consider donating to A Rocha's Christmas 2025 Big Give campaign which opens on Tuesday 2 December.

See also: A Rocha's EcoChurch resources for young people. Roots for Churches article on creation theology and accompanying podcast with A Rocha's Director of Communications and Head of Engagement (Audio; Video)

 

Views expressed are the authors' own. Hypertext links to other websites are for the convenience of users only and do not constitute any endorsement or authorisation by Roots for Churches Ltd.

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