GRATITUDE

Pastor Roberson Dorelus delivering his message.

FEATURE

How many times before had I sung those words? Too many times to remember, but these words took on a new meaning in Edmonton Central Seventh-day Adventist Church for me. My eyes filled with tears as I made an effort to join my voice with the church family in giving praises to our God as we echoed the words of this well-known gospel song: "There's NO Other Name Like Jesus."

Could it be that my personal emotional reaction to this song is not just about the song? Could it be the missed physical gathering of Sabbath worship? Or perhaps, I have been deprived for too long of the intimacy of worshiping with God's people. The reality of being isolated—locked-down—has been overbearing for us all. Perhaps, what I had also rediscovered from this song is that Sabbath morning worship gives me a true sense of bonding and belonging--especially when physically connected in our worship—and I do not want to lose that connection.

Through It All I’m Grateful

As we ventured into the Thanksgiving worship services on October 9, 2021, a warm welcome was extended to everyone present and those viewing virtually by our officiating Pastor, Roberson Dorelus. We were blessed to hear from five individual members from different age groups as they shared their testimonies—thanks to God for the numerous blessings and accomplishments over the years.

Amazing testimonies given during the Gratitude meetings. Young participant Galen Hamstra.

Ken Letkeman.

Pastor Dorelus began his sermon with these words, "Through it all I am grateful" The theme text for the message was based on 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18. We were reminded in this timely message by Pastor Roberson Dorelus of how easy it is for us to become distracted, to focus on the negative and not the positive in our lives. Being Thanksgiving weekend, it was the appropriate time for us to reflect on our thoughts and attitudes regarding being grateful. Pastor Roberson stated. "Learning to be grateful is much more than our immediate circumstance. The fact is that life will sometimes present us with things that cause us not to be grateful." He also mentioned that the past year has been challenging for many of us. However, we know that joy should not be based on our circumstances in life but God.

Testimony by Ella Ferris.

Claudia Umubyeyi.

Casta Bwasisi.

In his closing thoughts, the following questions were given to the audience to ponder: "How do you give thanks when you have lost a loved one? How do you give thanks when you have lost your job?" Expressing our gratitude is not about our circumstances. It is about learning to see the serenity of God. We may not feel grateful, but we can always be grateful. Finally, we were challenged by Pastor Roberson to rejoice and give thanks always, no matter what we are going through, and to pray without ceasing.

By Ina Martin, Edmonton Central Seventh-day Adventist Church