When We Bless
We bless a lot of things in the Episcopal tradition. We have liturgies to bless individuals, couples, children, homes, pets, buildings, businesses and a variety of other things. Many of the liturgies call for a priest to use holy water or oil. That means there are liturgies to bless ordinary water and oil, which transform them into holy elements used when blessing people, places and things.
I am grateful for these rituals because they help us pause and acknowledge that God is the source of all good things and we welcome Him into ordinary places. Yet, as important as they are, each of us can confer a blessing on another person as a way to recognize the divine potential of every moment and call it sacred or holy. We can speak the life-giving words of blessing at any time, without waiting for a special occasion.
In popular culture, the hashtag “blessed” often is used to draw attention to anything positive happening in one’s life. To me, it has become a caricature of itself, diminishing its “wholeness and purpose” definition by becoming synonymous with material wealth and prosperity. The hashtag version usually revolves around things that make our lives comfortable — a convenient parking spot, an extra serving of dessert, a safe journey and kids who make us proud. The underlying message is that we deserve those good things and that having more is evidence of our deservedness.
Episcopal priest Barbara Brown Taylor wrote, “To pronounce a blessing on something is to see it from the divine perspective.”[1] Partnering with God, through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, means we open our hearts and minds to see redemptively. And, having seen, we speak — whether directly to the individual or as we pray.
When we bless, we express wonder that the Eternal One loves us and longs for all to be made whole on earth as in heaven. When we bless, we offer a means of grace. When we bless, we see the good that already exists and call it forth to multiply. When we bless, we partner with the Spirit to bring life, hope, peace and love into every situation and circumstance.
My blessing for you today was first written for those in Thessalonica: “May the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around you.”[2] Now, go forth and bless those around you.
[1] Barbara Brown Taylor, “An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith,” p. 206
[2] 1 Thessalonians 3:12a, The Message
