Blessing.
What is a blessing? Typically we ask a blessing on our meal before we eat. But
were you aware of the fact that there are sixteen blessings for persons
contained within The United Methodist Book Of Worship? And this doesn’t include
benedictions or blessings that are a part of other services such as a wedding.
There are also complete liturgies for blessing of animals and blessing of a
home.
It seems
that many of us have lost the concept of blessing, even though the scriptures
and our Christian heritage is rich with blessing. Beginning in the first
chapter of Genesis, the first book of the Bible, we find that God blessed “the
great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with
which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind.” Did I mention
that this was on the fifth day and that people weren’t created until the sixth
day? Blessing is older that humanity! Throughout the Bible we find blessings
and persons asking for God’s blessing from Noah through Jesus Christ himself.
My favorite benediction is a variation of what is known as the “Aaronic
Blessing,” “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine
upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26 NRSV)
I have
stopped telling people to have a blessed day. It occurred to me that we have no
control over whether our day is blessed or not. So if I tell you to have a
blessed day, you can hope for blessing and strive toward it, but ultimately,
whether your day is blessed is not for you to decide. Rather when I bid you
farewell, I will much more frequently tell you, “Now go and be a blessing to
someone!” This is almost always achievable. And oddly, when we are a blessing
to someone else, we often find our day blessed.
And today
as we ask God’s blessing upon our students, teachers, administrators, we
reclaim this concept of blessing. We don’t grant the goodness and favor
ourselves. Rather we ask Holy God, the giver of all good things, to impart
divine protection, guidance, wisdom and favor upon them.
So may
Holy God help our students to grasp hold of what they need to know and
learn. May the Lord give them the aptitude for understanding and wisdom. May
they become well versed in every branch of learning, gifted with knowledge and
good sense, and be quick to understand. May they realize and understand that
they can do all things through Christ who strengthens them. May they dwell in
the secret place of the Most High and abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
May the Lord always be their refuge and their fortress. May they always
trust in the Lord, their God. May no evil shall befall them, neither shall any
plague come near their dwelling. May God grant angels charge over them to keep
them in all their ways. May God bless them with long life, satisfy them and
show them God’s salvation![1] And may they be a blessing to someone.
[1] Adapted from “10 Back-to-School Prayers for Your Kids”
Today's Frugal Mom™., 01 Aug. 2014. Web. 17 Aug. 2016.
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