As a pastor, I have always felt deeply privileged to give
the blessing, or benediction, to the people of God. At
that moment I know I am sharing in a ritual as old as the
Christian faith, words that, in one way or another, have
been part of Christian worship since the birth of the church.
Long ago, I decided to share that privilege: I encouraged the
members of my congregation to say the benediction together.
With our people holding hands, making eye contact, and
speaking the words strongly to one another, the time of
benediction has become a powerful spiritual moment.
This is the way community should be. The benediction
becomes our prayer for one another, a time when we wish
for one another the most precious gift life can bestow—the
gift of God.
We always run the risk of our faith’s becoming simply
another self-improvement course or a system of belief or a
way of making the world a better place. All these may be
part of faith; but at its heart, faith is about receiving God.
Jesus came to offer us a relationship with the living God
who comes to us as Father/Creator, as Son/Savior/Lord,
and as Holy Spirit/Encourager. The gifts of grace and peace
about which Paul speaks flow from this relationship into
our lives, making us different.
The world has its own greetings. People say, “Have a
good day”—a kindly wish. Christians say, “Have the grace
and peace of God”—a saving gift. We offer this supernatural,
transcendent gift to one another in the benediction. None
can give the grace and peace we offer but God. None can
mediate it but Jesus. None can sustain it but the Holy Spirit.
By Peter J. Storey from The Upper Room: 60 Days of Prayer for General Conference 2016