The Blessing of the Benediction
Échec de l'ajout au panier.
Échec de l'ajout à la liste d'envies.
Échec de la suppression de la liste d’envies.
Échec du suivi du balado
Ne plus suivre le balado a échoué
The Blessing of the Benediction
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À propos de cet audio
Our scripture is from the Old Testament, the book of Numbers, chapter 6, verses 24-26. Here these words read from the New International Version of the Bible. "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. "
These beautiful words were given by God to Moses as a blessing to the Israelites when they completed a special vow. It strikes me that God is recognizing the completion of their commitment with God’s own personal commitment to see them and bless them. Over the years I have heard this blessing used as a benediction at the completion of many worship services. I have to admit; I like it when the service comes to the benediction. At this point my wife would suggest that it is not a charitable statement to all the great pastors we have had over the years. Perhaps I should explain.
In preparation for marriage, I made a commitment to attend church. Over the years I have come to enjoy it more and as I mature, have a deeper appreciation for all the different components of the worship service. Every part of the worship service has a purpose, and God uses all the different pieces to reach people, whether through the music, the prayers, the statements of faith, the teaching, and the communion service. But regardless of how the service is ordered, they all have one thing in common, an ending. It is not that I look forward to the ending of the service; I look forward to the benediction or the blessing that comes with the end of the service.
One of our pastors states it well by saying, “Now as we depart better prepared for community, hear this blessing…” And then comes the good part.
Blessings like the following, from Paul’s letters.
Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
Or contemporary words like,
“God the Eternal keep you in love with each other, so that the peace of Christ may abide in your home. Go to serve God and your neighbor in all that you do.”And,
“Bear witness to the love of God in this world, so that those to whom love is a stranger will find in you generous friends.”
And lately, I have been blessed by the words from our vision statement that says,
As members of the United Methodist Church, go forth to form disciples of Jesus Christ who, empowered by the Holy Spirit, love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously in our local communities and through our worldwide connections.Prayer:
Will you join me in prayer as we conclude today’s devotion.
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. Amen.
Today’s devotion was written and read by Owen Ragland.
Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.
If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any