I think of the poet the Rev. Henry Van Dyke, who wrote: “Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse.”

I am struck by the beautiful movement from receiving kindness and feeling gratitude, to responding with thankfulness, and then acting in thanksgiving. Later this month, representatives from across our diocese will gather at our Diocesan Synod. Together, we will review the previous year and look to the future, praying, planning, and going forth to take action on our mission. We begin our synod with a diocesan celebration of the Eucharist. ‘Eucharist’ is a Greek word translated as thanksgiving. It is significant that the centre of our worship is not called “the great sacrifice,” “the great meal,” or “the great gathering”—it is called the Great Thanksgiving. We receive the steadfast love of God and are grateful. We give thanks for Jesus’ self-giving and salvation, and we respond with thanksgiving for the guiding presence of the Holy Spirit working in and through us.

We are called not simply to be thankful, but to go deeper: to move forward in faith, to be aware and intentional in our response, to celebrate thankfulness in community, and to create opportunities for the Spirit to work within us, among us, and through us in the world.

The response of gratitude involves awareness of power beyond our own, not earned, a blessing, a gift. Gratitude has the power to help us live our lives more fully, to imitate God in abundant love and to extend our compassion to those in need. Gratitude practised, empowers us to live faithfully, trusting in God’s promise to be present, active, and loving in our lives.

In closing I share this poem, written by the Rev. George Herbert:

Thou hast given so much to me,
Give one thing more, —a grateful heart;
Not thankful when it pleaseth me,
As if Thy blessings had spare days,
But such a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise.

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I find it striking that the pattern of the church year runs counter to the pattern of the earth’s seasons. As autumn begins, the earth yields its harvest and prepares for winter: a season of dormancy and rest before springtime’s new growth.

By contrast, our church and community life often moves from summer’s quieter pace —while still active in worship and service, we also make room for self care, spending time with loved ones, exploring new places, or resting in familiar places. And in the fall, we engage in a season of renewed activity, as the church year progresses through Ordinary Time toward the Reign of Christ, we turn again to planning, programming, and action.

This September, let us carry forward the renewal summer has offered. The prophet Isaiah reminds us that “those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength.” St. Paul, in the letter to the Romans 12:2, calls us to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds.” In this turning of the season, we are invited to receive God’s renewal and with wells refilled and strength restored, dive into the ministries to which we are called, with hearts and minds open to God’s transforming purpose, in and around us all.

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