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Greetings from our Rector
"….where ever two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them" says Jesus [Matthew 18:20]
Since those words were first spoken, Christians have gathered with the assurance of Christ's presence ringing in their ears. And so, we too stand in a long line of people who gather in Christ's name. We claim the promise that Jesus is with us.
So, how do we respond to those words from Jesus? Well, first of all, we claim the promise, on behalf of ourselves, as Christians gathered in the name of Jesus. We believe that Christ is present with us, among us, through us.
But there is another response that I would like to focus on and that is that we appropriately respond with gratitude. We give thanks for what Jesus has promised.
In my own life of prayer and biblical study, I have come to recognise the significance and centrality of gratitude…..thus a theology of gratitude. Indeed, I have come to understand that a perspective of gratitude on life helps me to 'get right' my relationship with God as well as relationships with other human beings.
For I find, that if I focus on gratitude to God for all that I am and all that I have, it keeps me in my proper place in creation - as a created child of God. I did not make the world - God did. The things of this world are not mine - they belong to God. God is the owner - I am a steward for God's sake. Thus, a theology of gratitude gets right the vertical relationship between God and me.
Secondly, a theology of gratitude also gets right the horizontal relationship between myself and other people. If I am grateful to God for all that I experience and love, then I am less inclined to want what some other person has. If gratitude is in my heart and on my lips, then resentment toward others has a difficult time occupying my attention. If I am grateful to God, then envy has a hard time gaining a foothold in my soul.
Thus, the horizontal relationship with others is put right by a theology of gratitude.
As we reflect on the tragedy of the Indian Ocean Tsunami an interesting insight occurred to me. In reading and hearing about those who suffered so greatly - in terms of their loss - it struck me that the ones who focused on reasons for gratitude in their lives seem to be the ones who have lived through the trauma in the best shape.
They have been quick to remember the lives that they shared and the blessings that they experienced previously with loved ones. And while their losses have been great indeed - so has their witness to the reality of gratitude and thanksgiving.
I therefore commend to you a theology of gratitude - as read holy scripture - as you say your prayers and as you live your life.
With every blessing
Sandra Kjellgren
RECTOR
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