The Power to Bless
In his book, To Bless the Space Between Us, John O’Donohue tells the story about how as a young priest he had occasion to visit a contemplative community of nuns. An older sister opened the door. Knowing that he was a new priest, she asked for his first blessing. He said, “I stood over this contemplative and drew on every resource I knew to invoke the most intimate blessing. As I was completing the blessing, it struck me how ironical this situation was: here was a contemplative who had spent over sixty years of her life navigating the searing silence and darkness of God, yet she was asking a twenty-five-year-old for his blessing. When she stood up I decided to kneel down and ask her for her blessing. She seemed utterly taken aback; she mumbled something and practically ran out of the room… This was a woman who practiced a totally contemplative life, and yet the system made her feel that she could not bless, and conversely, it made me think I could… This experience led me to question who had the authority and power to bless.
O’Donohue went on to write, “Whenever one person takes another into the care of their heart, they have the power to bless… to bless someone is to offer a beautiful gift… A blessing is a form of grace; it is invisible. There are no limits to it.. for one who believes, a blessing can signal the start of a journey of transformation.”
Yesterday, my message was on the power of blessing. It is in fact, a beautiful resource that can be carried in the “toolbox” of any caring human being.
A blessing is simply a spoken hope, prayer, or truth offered for healing, for encouragement, for nourishment and strength to be carried along the journey. When spoken with sincerity and kindness, the impact is lasting.
I just wonder, I wonder if there might be people in your life who need to hear a blessing from you today…
Let us pray: Today, may we receive your blessing, O God, as we remember these words spoken to the prophet Jeremiah: ‘For surely I know the plans I have for you… plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” May it be so, O God. May it be so. Amen.
Daily Message Author: Joe Albright
Joe began his ministry in Sarasota, Florida as an associate pastor, and it was in this capacity that he worked alongside the Reverend Dr. Roger Kunkel. Roger was a colleague who became a mentor and treasured friend. From Sarasota, Joe was called to Jacksonville, Florida where he served as the Head of Staff at Hodges Boulevard Presbyterian Church. Currently, Joe and his family worship and serve at Geneva Presbyterian Church in Switzerland, Florida. Full Bio
