Last weekend I made my first visit to the St. Louis Art Fair held in downtown Clayton.  As you may know, the fair is recognized as being one of the most prestigious in the country and there were artists from many different places.  One of those artists was Greg Davis, a photographer, who says that his desire is to connect his experiences with those of people worlds apart, to exhibit that we are all part of something greater than ourselves (https://gregdavisphotography.com).

The photograph below is one that Davis took that he calls, “Circle of Gratitude Too, Kenya” and it was taken in a village in the country of Kenya.  The description of the photograph talks about the process that young girls go through in Northern Kenya to get clean drinking water for their families.  Every day the young girls walk for hours in the heat, despite the numerous risks involved, so that they can get water. The children whose hands are shown in the picture below were on a school playground in a Kenyan village where a non-profit built a water well.  The imagery that Davis created with his photograph is one that he describes as being a metaphor for the well that was built, a well that fills an essential need.

As Greg Davis points out, we really are part of something that is greater than ourselves.   All that we have and all that we are is a gift from God.  As The Rev. John Claypool describes it in some of his writing, life is a gift, and it is to be received and participated in and handled with gratitude. Life is a gift, and we have much to be grateful for.  I am grateful for the opportunity to enter this new time of ministry with you at St. Peter’s.  My hope and prayer for us is that together we will work to find and hold up to God all that is good and be thankful for it.  My hope and prayer for us is that together we can create a circle of gratitude that will be open, inviting, and receptive to all.