ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING
December 8, 2021
In recent weeks, I have been intrigued by the number of times I’ve heard people make the connection between joy and gratitude. Most of them have been outside of religious circles. Both joy and gratitude are not necessarily emotions or attitudes exclusive to people of faith. For that reason, I have found myself trying to explore the connection beyond the theological structures I would usually bring to that language. Historians, archeologist and sociologist would be quick to point how joy and gratitude have been a part of most every culture’s rituals and practices. How they are expressed might look dramatically different in one place or another, yet there seems to be something deep within us that needs to give witness – our deepest feelings are seeking some sort of tangible outward expression. Maybe it has less to do with trying to explain and more about finding a healthy place to offer this joy and gratitude.
I offer my joy and gratitude unto you, O Gracious God, but I also hope others encounter within me a spirit of joy and a true attitude of gratitude. Amen.
