MONDAY, MAY 9
READ 1 CORINTHIANS 1:3
1 CORINTHIANS 1:3 Grace to you and shalom from God our Father and the Lord Yeshua the Messiah.
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As a pastor, I have always felt deeply privileged to give the blessing, or benediction, to the people of God. At that moment I know I am sharing in a ritual as old as the Christian faith, words that, in one way or another, have been part of Christian worship since the birth of the church. Long ago, I decided to share that privilege: I encouraged the members of my congregation to say the benediction together. With our people holding hands, making eye contact, and speaking the words strongly to one another, the time of benediction has become a powerful spiritual moment.
This is the way community should be. The benediction becomes our prayer for one another, a time when we wish for one another the most precious gift life can bestow—the gift of God.
We always run the risk of our faith becoming simply another self-improvement course or a system of belief or a way of making the world a better place. All these may be part of faith; but at its heart, faith is about receiving God. Jesus came to offer us a relationship with the living God who comes to us as Father/Creator, as Son/Savior/Lord, and as Holy Spirit/Encourager. The gifts of grace and peace about which Paul speaks flow from this relationship into our lives, making us different.
The world has its own greetings. People say, “Have a good day”—a kindly wish. Christians say, “Have the grace and peace of God”—a saving gift. We offer this supernatural, transcendent gift to one another in the benediction. None can give the grace and peace we offer but God. None can mediate it but Jesus. None can sustain it but the Holy Spirit.
Employ Paul’s benediction as your gift to all those you meet today.[Peter J. Storey]
The dedication of the Prayer Room and the Prayer Walk through the Oregon Convention Center will be today, Monday, May 9, at 11:00AM PDT in the Prayer Room (Oregon Ballroom 204). The General Conference Guide has this taking place today at 1:30pm, so this is a change in the schedule.
Our mailing address is:
The Upper Room Strategic Initiatives
PO Box 340007
As a pastor, I have always felt deeply privileged to give the blessing, or benediction, to the people of God. At that moment I know I am sharing in a ritual as old as the Christian faith, words that, in one way or another, have been part of Christian worship since the birth of the church. Long ago, I decided to share that privilege: I encouraged the members of my congregation to say the benediction together. With our people holding hands, making eye contact, and speaking the words strongly to one another, the time of benediction has become a powerful spiritual moment.
This is the way community should be. The benediction becomes our prayer for one another, a time when we wish for one another the most precious gift life can bestow—the gift of God.
We always run the risk of our faith becoming simply another self-improvement course or a system of belief or a way of making the world a better place. All these may be part of faith; but at its heart, faith is about receiving God. Jesus came to offer us a relationship with the living God who comes to us as Father/Creator, as Son/Savior/Lord, and as Holy Spirit/Encourager. The gifts of grace and peace about which Paul speaks flow from this relationship into our lives, making us different.
The world has its own greetings. People say, “Have a good day”—a kindly wish. Christians say, “Have the grace and peace of God”—a saving gift. We offer this supernatural, transcendent gift to one another in the benediction. None can give the grace and peace we offer but God. None can mediate it but Jesus. None can sustain it but the Holy Spirit.
Employ Paul’s benediction as your gift to all those you meet today.[Peter J. Storey]
The dedication of the Prayer Room and the Prayer Walk through the Oregon Convention Center will be today, Monday, May 9, at 11:00AM PDT in the Prayer Room (Oregon Ballroom 204). The General Conference Guide has this taking place today at 1:30pm, so this is a change in the schedule.
Our mailing address is:
The Upper Room Strategic Initiatives
PO Box 340007
Nashville, Tennessee 37203, United States
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