Welcome to Blessings and Meanders

For several years now, the blessings I've pronounced at the end of the Sunday eucharist are based on the lectionary readings. Generally, I've improvised them -- and thankfully something coherent has always emerged. Now that I'm taking some time off from parish ministry and working as a stay-at-home father of twins, I thought I'd begin to write down some of these blessings.

I'll be meandering through the Sunday lectionary, offering one or two blessings, and sometimes a few thoughts on the readings themselves. Feel free to use these ideas in your own ministry and as part of your meditation on the upcoming Sunday.

blessings,
Devin+

3/3/12

May your heart live forever!

Readings
Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16
Psalm 22:22-30 Romans 4:13-25Mark 8:31-38

Blessings

Trinitarian Blessing
May God the Father, who has made you good, teach you to live without shame; may God the Holy Spirit give you the wisdom to set your mind on holy things; and may God the Son, who shall return in glory, greet you with joy and delight in the age to come. And the blessing of God almighty be with you this day and ever more.

Simple Blessing

Live without fear: your Creator has made you holy, has always protected you, and loves you as a mother. Go in peace to follow the good road and may God’s blessing be with you always.
(source: from Saint Clare)



Meanders


Too often the psalm rushes right past us on Sunday mornings, wedged between the first and second reading. Perhaps in your church it's sung by a choir and no one can make out a word. Or perhaps it's spoken by the congregation in the tone of voice usually reserved for fifth graders reciting the Pledge of Allegiance on a rainy Monday morning.  But today's psalm is worth taking a second look at. Well, they all are - today's isn't shockingly unique. It's just that there's a few lovely little details about it that are quite perfect for Lent.
The first lovely little detail is that this cheerful psalm of hope, justice and faith has a rather different, and more familiar, beginning:
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
 
The choice of this psalm is a lovely lectionary answer to Peter's shock at Jesus' preaching of 'doom and gloom.'  Why would Jesus talk about his betrayal and death? Because

 The poor shall eat and be satisfied,
and those who seek the LORD shall praise him

For some, Jesus' words on the cross are shameful and disturbing, a son physically abused and betrayed by his father. But when we know the whole psalm, the crucifiction ceases to become about God punishing his Son like a whipping boy; instead, Good Friday becomes a reminder that a commitment to truth and freedom cannot be stopped by anything, even death itself. No matter how despairing this moment is, we are walking inexorably from glory to glory, to a time when the poor shall eat and be satisfied and those who seek the Lord shall praise God!
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