The experience of persecution, not familiar to most of us in the United States, is a fact of life for many Christians today. Are there, nonetheless, ways in which contemporary Christians in the US face persecution? On the other hand, do some claim to be persecuted for questionable reasons?
Do Paul’s reflections on persecution say anything to us about how we should relate to persecuted Christians throughout the globe?
How important in your understanding of the Christian life is the experience of “joy”? Is it compatible with suffering? Is it something that can be cultivated or just accepted?
Are the prayers that Paul offers for the Thessalonians good examples of what we should pray for? What kind of practice of prayer do you pursue?