Sermon: "The Centrality of Gratitude"
The Right Reverend Charles G. vonRosenberg
Third Bishop of East Tennessee

Looking at the Bible through one theological lens can be very restricting. If we are only willing to consider one perspective on scripture, then our view can be extremely narrow. Having admitted that, though, I want to share with you that the lens of a theology of gratitude has become very important to me. Indeed, I think that this theology helps me get right my relationship with God, as well as relationships with fellow human beings.

First of all, in terms of the vertical relationship - that one with God - a theology of gratitude is crucial. If I focus on gratitude to God for all that I am and all that I have, then that 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 therefore not mine; they are God's. And that includes all the rest of the created order of the universe. 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 myself.

It seems to me that such a theology was important in what St. Paul wrote in our Second Lesson today. Listen to hear the underlying sense of gratitude. "Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. And those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God. We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's." A theology of gratitude undergirds those words, it seems to 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 somebody else has. If gratitude is in my heart and on my lips, then resentment and malice toward other people have a more difficult time occupying my attention. If I am simply and primarily grateful to God Almighty, then envy and covetousness have a harder time gaining a foothold in my soul. Thus, the horizontal relationships with other people are also put right by a theology of gratitude.

Consider Jesus' parable of the Unmerciful Servant - or Unfaithful Servant. Remember that the servant received mercy himself, in terms of paying a debt, but then, he was unwilling to offer that mercy to his fellow servant, who owed him some money. Other servants reported this situation to the master, and, then, we may read, "His lord summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?' And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt." I suggest to you that a theology of gratitude would have caused that servant to be merciful himself, and the consequences would have been much better for him!

This week, we have all experienced our own memories of September 11, 2001. And, it is important to say, that not everyone remembered that day's anniversary the same way. That's OK. It is important that we remembered. How we remembered is much less important. However, in listening and in reading about those who had suffered greatly, in terms of loss, I realized something appropriate to what I have been saying this morning. Those people who have been able to claim reasons for gratitude - about former lives shared, for instance - those folks seem to have come to a healthier place in life now. I do not suggest that we gloss over hardship and loss. But I do suggest that all of us have things for which to be thankful.

Let me offer you a personal example of the significance of the theology of gratitude in my own life. As some of you know, my mother is in an assisted living facility, under hospice care. It is difficult for me and my family to see her - once so independent and self-reliant - now so very dependent on others. Indeed, this capable woman has been able to do many things through the years, and she was known, too, to have opinions about the way that other people accomplished things as well! She took her independence very seriously. Thus, her present circumstances represent quite a change, and I do not pretend to belittle the sadness of the current situation. Indeed, it is a most difficult thing to see.

However, through the eyes of a theology of gratitude, I have gained another perspective. The fact is that people previously simply could not do much for my mother. She did not need or encourage such a response to herself, and so, there was not much opportunity to do anything for her in the past. But things are different now. In this dependent time for her, nurses, friends, and family must do things for her. While she resisted such efforts at first, she has become more graceful in her acceptance of kindness recently. And, I must say, I am grateful for that - for myself, for others, and for my mother herself. Thus, a theology of gratitude has helped me in this difficult time.

In closing, then, I commend to you a theology of gratitude. I commend it to you as you read the Bible, as you say your prayers, and as you live your life. I commend it to you in good times and in bad ones. I commend it to you for the sake of your relationships with God and with fellow human beings. May we, therefore, in all times and places, be able to affirm, "Thanks be to God!"

Copyright © 2002 The Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee