Blessing

        At the conclusion of communion in an Episcopal church service the priest blesses the people. There are many blessings given. Our Christ Church Cathedral 6 p.m. “Sanctuary” service is a quiet service that is contemplative and filled with both silence and the gentle music of piano, flute, hammer dulcimer, violin and guitar. Our blessing at the conclusion of Sanctuary is:

May the nourishment of the earth be yours.

May the clarity of the Light be yours.

May the fluency of the sea be yours.

And may a slow wind work these words of love around you,

Like an invisible cloak to mind your life;

And may the blessing of God Almighty,

Eternal Majesty, Incarnate Word, and Abiding Spirit

Be with you now and forever.

I find this very comforting. It comforts me that I have a blessing to take with me as I am about to emerge from the holiness of worship and the hallowed ground of the church. I get to take the blessing of that holiness into the world that doesn’t necessarily have my best interests in mind. The blessing accompanies me when I go into circumstances that are uncertain and where the outcome may be questionable. The blessing envelopes me as I travel through thick and through thin during the week.

            But it is not just a priest or minister that has the ability to bless. We all have this gift. We are all able to bless and to be a blessing. As we work, go to the grocery store, care for our children, play, exercise, drive to appointments, call on friends, and travel through our lives with each other and in the world, we can choose to bless and to be a blessing. How and to whom will you be a blessing this week?