Celebrate

Celebrating God’s Goodness in 2021

Celebrating God’s Gracious and Generous Gifts

What does the Lambeth Conference for bishops of the Anglican Communion (held in late July to early August this year) and Christmas have in common? I think the common element is found in the word “gift”.

It was a huge and much appreciated gift that Teresa and I were able to participate in the conference. The experience of the conference itself, held in Canterbury, Kent (with a day at Lambeth Palace, London) was amazing. We met lots of interesting people, heard wonderful speakers, and shared in diverse worship services. We were blessed by amazing hot, sunny weather. Perhaps most importantly, given disagreements within the Anglican Communion, the conference ended on a lovely feel–good sense of our unity in diversity and of our commitment to live with difference. It was also a wonderful gift that the Diocese of Christchurch supported both of us to go the conference and for that we are very grateful. When we think of Christmas, any Christmas, we always think about gifts— the gifts of the wise men from the East, and the gift of Jesus Christ to the world. What gift am I going to give my loved ones? Perhaps we will also be able to see the experience of Christmas itself as a gift. For some of us Christmas is a gift because it is one day in the year when all our family get together. For others Christmas is a gift because it is one day when we have a complete holiday from our work as a busy employee or a hard–pressed business owner. Personally (as someone who “works” on Christmas Day) I find the gift of Christmas is not its restfulness but the peacefulness of this particular day of the year. When we receive gifts, whether it is some amazing experience akin to our experience of the Lambeth Conference, or a special something wrapped up in paper, we receive something we have not earned. We are recipients of grace, of a generosity that makes us joyful and humble at the same time. At the first Christmas and at the coming Christmas, the greatest gift is that God comes to us in Jesus Christ and gives to each who will receive it the undeserved and abundant blessing of God—life wrapped up in love, a love full of life. Thanks be to God for God’s kindness to us.

Manaaki, Bishop Peter.