Blessing and Benediction

'May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you His favour and give you His peace' Numbers 6:24-26

Many of us, simply disregard and perfunctorily dismiss the benediction performed at the end of the church worship services; we can't wait to get out of church. We fail to appreciate the wonderful words of assurance, how much the Lord God intends to enrich our lives and bless us. We fail to realise that as we leave after a time of worshipping God, the benediction is like a parting gift to sustain us for the week during which the presence of God will no doubt wane within us as we become distracted by our many chores and to-do lists.

The Aaronic blessing found in Numbers 6:24-26 is the most commonly used Benediction. God instructed Aaron at the time of the Exodus to bless the Israelites. It was given at a time of uncertainty, dangers, concerns as the Israelites realised that the dry and arid desert had nothing to offer. They were completely reliant on God and God did not leave them destitute, God delivered.

• The Lord bless you and keep you. This is a promise of God's protection bestowed as a blessing on His people, the Israelites then and now on all Christians too.

• The Lord make His face to shine upon you. This is a promise of God's presence not just casually but deeply, intimately and close up as if face to face.

• The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. This is the promise of God's peace. 

The end of the a church service is not just a return to society after having worshipped God. It is also God sending us into the world, commissioned for ministry and mission empowered by the Holy Spirit. We receive the blessing of God so that we will have the strength and ability to live lives of blessing to others. Having received the benediction we are sent out as Jesus Christ's witnesses and ambassadors.

The Benediction is both a prayer and pronouncement. The apostles and early church leaders pronounced the benediction as a signature conclusion to their messages using  

• The Benediction as an Encouragement
• The Benediction as a Blessing
• The Benediction as a pronouncement of Grace

Examples are:

Hope 'May the God of hope Fill you with all joy and peace in believing, So that you may abound in hope By the power of the Holy Spirit.' Romans 15:13

Service 'Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be the glory forever and ever.' Hebrews 13:20-21

Endurance 'May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.' Romans 15:5-6

Love 'The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all'. 2 Corinthians 13:14

Glory 'Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen' Ephesians:20-21

Peace 'The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.' Philippians 4:7

Success 'Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen'  Jude 24-25

Sanctification 'Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.' 1 Thessalonians 5:23

One of the modern benedictions was written and put to music in 1998 by John Rutter, the Clare Benediction. John Rutter has a long association with Clare College, Cambridge University. He read music at Clare in the 1960s and subsequently returned as its director of music and director of the chapel choir.

The Clare Benediction is a set to soothing melody and harmony. Beginning with 'May the Lord show His mercy upon you...' it is a prayer for protection and guidance, when asleep or awake, in this life and the next. 

May the Lord show his mercy upon you;

May the light of his presence be your guide:

May he guard you and uphold you;

May his spirit be ever by your side.

When you sleep may his angels watch over you;

When you wake may he fill you with his grace:

May you love him and serve him all your days

Then in heaven may you see his face.

May the Lord's loving kindness surround you;

Keep you safe as you journey on your way:

May he lead you and inspire you

As he grants you the gift of each new day.

May he bless all your loved ones and cherish them;

Ev'ry friend, ev'ry stranger at your door:

In the name of his Son our Saviour Christ

May God bless you now and evermore

Next time don't just rush out at the end of the worship service. Take time to let the blessings of the Benediction sink in. Then, let us learn to bless each other. We are blessed to be a blessing.

May God bless you now and evermore.

Lionel

For the Beauty of the Earth

Aurora Borealis, Alta Norway 26 Oct 2019

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands." Psalms 19:1 

On a cruise up the Norwegian coast to the Arctic Circle, Pat and I  were fortunate to see the  Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights. It was a spectacular display on the night sky. It is visible as dancing white-green clouds but if seen through the screen of mobile phones, IPad, using special camera apps, the colours become more vibrant with tinges of yellow and red in a largely green spectral background. 

I discovered that the Northern Lights experience is very unique to earth. The solar winds/storms emanate from the core of the sun and hurtle through the universe passing through the various planets as strong electromagnetic waves. However when reaching earth, these waves are deflected by earth's thin magnetic field, pass the earth by  and then are re-deflected backwards to the north and south poles.

Deflection of the Solar Wind

These re-deflected  waves now become visible in the visual spectrum especially the colour green. If the strong solar winds are not deflected it could cause havoc to earth's electronic and electrical systems as well as causing deleterious health effects. 

After  witnessing the Northern Lights, I cannot help but appreciate God's grace in enabling us to see the beautiful colours while at the same time protecting us from harmful effects. How fortunate for us! What a joy to be God's people and creation.   

Indeed when viewing these wonders of nature, we are confronted with an undeniable fact, how great is our God! God is ever present. We experience intertwining relationships, God with us and we with His creation, the good earth. We are reminded of two fundamental affirmations (Ref 1)  

    

• The earth is the Lord’s by creation

'The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world and all who live in it.' Psalm 24:1

• The earth is given to the human race by delegation

'The highest heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth He has given to mankind.' Psalm 115:16

·    Nature can teach us many things.

 

Psalms 19:2 states "Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night night they revealed  knowledge." 

T   William Wordsworth understood this revelation. He wrote in "Tintern Abbey", 

For I have learned

To look on nature, not as in the hour

Of thoughtless youth; but hearing oftentimes

The still sad music of humanity,

Nor harsh nor grating, though of ample power

To chasten and subdue.—And I have felt

A presence that disturbs me with the joy

Of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime

Of something far more deeply interfused,

Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns,

And the round ocean and the living air,

And the blue sky, and in the mind of man:

A motion and a spirit, that impels

All thinking things, all objects of all thought,

And rolls through all things. 

     Wordsworth found God in the inspiration of nature, the Beauty of the Earth

For the beauty of the earth

For the glory of the skies

For the love which from our birth

Over an around us lies

Over and around us lies

Lord of all, to Thee we raise

This our joyful hymn of praise

For the beauty of each hour

Of the day and of the night

Hill and vale and tree and flow'r

Sun and moon and stars of light

Sun and moon and stars of light

For the joy of human love

Brother, sister, parent, child

Friends on earth and friends above

For all gentle thought and mild

For all gentle thoughts and mild

For each perfect gift of Thine

To our race so freely given

Graces human and divine

Flow'rs of earth and buds of heav'n

Flow'rs of earth and buds of heav'n

      
   Lionel

L

   Ref 1: John Stott, The Radical Disciple, Inter-varsity Press, 2010

Look At The World - God's Vineyard

 

'In that day - Sing about a fruitful vineyard: I, the LORD, watch over it; I water it continually. I guard it day and night so that no one may harm it.' Isaiah 27:2-3

We visited Rutherglen in April 2009, a town in Australia’s Murray Valley famous for the vineyards around it. The first planting of grapes for wine occurred in the 1850s. The green scenery, clean air and clean rivers make the valley a perfect backdrop for inspirational food and wine tasting tours.

In Oct 2017, Pat and I sailed down the Douro River in Portugal. On both sides of the river are the pleasing sights of grapes growing in rows and rows of neatly placed vines.

14 Oct 2017 the Douro River Valley

Vineyards bring to mind the environment and milieu for Christian growth. The Bible uses the vineyard as an agricultural imagery in many references relating to the nurture of Christians and Churches. Jesus Christ spoke of His relationship with God and the Church as the Vine, the Gardener and the Branches in Gospel of John Chapter 15

'I am the true grapevine and my Father is the gardener.' John 15:1 (NLT)

'Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. those who remain in me, and I in them will produce much fruit.' John 15:5a (NLT)

Individually, the grape vine is not impressive. They are spindly and weak plants. They need to be supported on the wires. They have to be pruned every year for the branches to bear fruit. But together, rows and rows of the grape vines planted on the hillsides, are a beautiful sight to behold. 

Thus, it was not surprising when our church wanted to start a Senior Adult Fellowship, that we should call this fellowship the Charis Vineyard League. It is a recognition that individually we are very weak and unimpressive individuals. But hopefully being supported in the fellowship and expressing our interdependence for one another we will become that fruitful vineyard.

There is much God has to work at with our individual and corporate lives. As the gardener, God will prune the branches to the very centre of the mother stem of the vine. This will encourage the growth of new shoots which will grow through winter, spring and summer until the vines become laden with bunches of grapes. At which time the vineyard will become aglow in the evening sun. 

Then in autumn, the ripened grapes are gathered, mixed and pressed. From this milieu the fruit of the vines become distilled into vintage, much valued wines. 

This is how we hope to see ourselves as the Charis Vineyard League. All of us having matured and ripened at the prime of our lives would be brought into a Christian fellowship, each bringing the different experiences, so that new wines - products of service, will venture forth as fruits of God’s vineyard.

During the inauguration of the Charis Vineyard League, the Bishop Robert Solomon remarked, “As we grow older, as our strength and abilities begin to decline, we learn to lean more heavily on God. The spiritual lesson is to know that apart from Him we cannot do anything of significance."

Robertson McQuillan wrote, “God planned the strength and beauty of youth to be physical. But the strength and beauty of age is spiritual. We gradually lose the strength and beauty that is temporary so that we may concentrate on the strength and beauty that is forever.”

When we assesses ourselves at the autumnal periods of our lives, let us be mindful of how God has shaped our lives, caused us to grow and mature. In a poem, Rabbi Ben Ezra by Robert Browning, there is a phrase, "Grow old along with me, the best is yet to be."

Whether it be vineyards, beautiful sunsets, surging waves, wonderful nature, God has blessed us with all these wonderful gifts. All the gifts we share, all the blessings we received, like vintage wine, distilled from God's Vineyard let us savor every moment. 

'Look at the World' even if with eyes now dimmed and be thankful. 

Look at the world

Everything all around us

Look at the world

And marvel every day

Look at the world

So many joys and wonders

So many miracles

Along our way

Praise to thee O Lord for all creation

Give us thankful hearts that we may see

All the gifts we share and every blessing

All things come of thee

Look at the earth

Bringing forth fruit and flowers

Look at the sky

The sunshine and the rain

Look at the hills

Look at the trees and mountains

Valley and flowing river

Field and plain

Think of the spring

Think of the warmth of summer

Bringing the harvest

Before the winter's cold

Everything grows

Everything has a season

Till it is gathered to the fathers fold

Every good gift

All that we need and cherish

Comes from the Lord

In token of his love

We are his hands

Stewards of all his bounty

His is the earth and his the heavens above

Praise to thee O Lord for all creation

Give us thankful hearts that we may see

All the gifts we share and every blessing

All things come of thee

All things come of thee

Lionel

Updated, 1st Published 26 Apr 2009

All Creatures Great And Small

Jeremy the Mouse

"God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning - the sixth day."  Genesis 1:31

On the 4 April 2007, my younger daughter Rebecca wrote:

I recently got myself a pet mouse whom I named Jeremy - a docile, sweet and intelligent creature with a lovely tan coat. I played with this creature daily and was amazed by the different things that he did. 

I discovered that mice are amazing creatures. Small and tiny, yet intelligent and full of personality. They cry when upset or stressed - having glands that produce a red and sticky tear-like substance which also serve as a scented warning for other mice not to get into the same troublesome situation. They generally crawl about on their fours but will periodically stand on their hind legs when eating, fighting or orientating themselves; looking adorable when they do so. They are superb jumpers, climbers and swimmers. Do you know that mice will sing and dance to attract their mates? They have interesting rituals. They can also hunt like pack animals in groups and will warn each other of danger.

Studying Jeremy and reading about mice, I realised that God really put a personal finishing touch on these tiny creatures. Mice are just a teeny tiny part of the whole spectrum of animals, plants, earth, sea and sky that make up our world, His creation. God planned the entire global ecosystem, he made the air and oceans, with their careful balance of chemicals; He created the plants to replenish the world with oxygen and to nourish its inhabitants; he made the mice, elephants and all creatures great and small.

Indeed, the creations of God are "very good" and at the end, He made man to be the master of these things but more, to love Him and to serve Him. I see no reason not to do so. If God is able to plan all the complicated parts of an ecosystem, things that even us humans may never fully comprehend, He certainly can make me and ask that I serve Him. 

God is good. I see no problem with giving my life to Him. I hope that throughout life, God will plan for and direct me. He is an awfully good planner to me.

On the 25 May 2007, my elder daughter Deborah commented:

Actually, Meimei (Rebecca) has a very special capacity to accept God's creations and to appreciate them at full value, imperfect as they may be. In her post she did not mention that her pet, Jeremy was a three-legged mouse, a reject of the pet shop. When she chose the mouse to be her pet, she did not even notice this 'handicap' - she saw that Jeremy was responsive, happy and full of vitality

To appreciate people and animals for more than their physical and mental attributes, but for their personality and inner beauty is a rare gift.

Lionel Lee commented

As a father, I am very proud that both my daughters have a wonderful gift by which they both have learnt to appreciate God through observing the wonders of His creation. We can be oblivious to God's creative genius in creating the flora and fauna of our world when we should be appreciative. Genesis 1:21 and 24 describes this creative energy,

 

'So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds and every winged bird according to its kind. And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds; the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground and the wild animal each according to its kind." And it was so.'

We often gloss over these verses but the description of the creation of all creatures great and small portrays abundance and exuberance, as the word 'teems' reveals. 

When God created man and woman, he gave them a duty to look after the luscious and abundant world. Genesis 1: 28b and 29, 

God said, "Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground. I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food."   

Some have interpreted this injunction as having dominion and authority over the earth. I think God gave us the responsibility to look after and respect His creation. Hence every Christian has a God-given duty towards conservation and protection of all living things and species. With this, we will become sensitive to God's creative energy which was not only present when the world began but continues as a mighty force at work for the beauty of the earth and all creation. Jesus in Luke 12:27 told us, 

"Consider, how wild flowers grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed as one of these."

It is a blessing to have this special quality and inner sensitivity towards creation and conservation. This is celebrated in a choral anthem written by John Rutter, 'All Things Bright and Beautiful.'

 

All things bright and beautiful

All creatures great and small

All things bright and wonderful

The Lord God made them all

Each little flow'r that opens

Each little bird that sings

He made that glowing colors

He made that tiny wings

All things bright and beautiful

All creatures great and small

All things wise and wonderful

The Lord God made them all

The color headed mountain

The river running by

The sunset and the morning

That brightened up the sky

The cold wind in the winter

The pleasant summer sun

The ripe fruit in the garden

He made them everyone

All things bright and beautiful

All creatures great and small

All things wise and wonderful

The Lord God made them all

Cooler Becky

Debbie Lee

and Lionel

Updated from original article written by Rebecca on 9 April 2007

Let Everything That Has Breath Praise The Lord

'The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.' Psalms 19:1

No one can ever look at the beautiful sunset and not recognise the God behind that beauty. Yes beautiful scenes in nature often causes us to be uplifted and praise God who is the Creator. This realisation, this moment of inspiration can be so breathtaking that it can bring tears to our eyes!

The Hebrew word, Kavod which is translated as glory, splendour or beauty actually means rich or heavy. The Jews would say a rich man is 'heavy with wealth' in the same way we might say a rich man is 'loaded.' The idea behind kavod is that when we experience God's glory, we are experiencing the weight of His goodness, the weight of His beauty, the weight of His mercy and the weight of His compassion. A beautiful sunset at a beach is an example of the richness of God's beauty. Ref 1

I love to travel and experience, firsthand, the wonders of the earth, the beauty of God's creation and feel an affinity to them. These are moments of closeness to God, a recognition that behind the spectacular field of daffodils is God's handiwork. William Wordsworth recognised this sublime and creative presence when he wrote:

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed—and gazed—but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

Nature is a gift. Nature informs us who we are, the more we appreciate God's creation the more we will know ourselves. We become aware of the preciousness of life. Look At The World, a song composed by John Rutter celebrates this:

Look at the World: Everything all around us

Look at the world: and marvel everyday

Look at the world: So many joys and wonders

So many miracles along our way

Praise to the O Lord for all creation

Give us thankful hearts that we may see

All the gifts we share and every blessing

All things come of Thee

This realisation that God gives us the beauty of His creations invokes a emotional drive to praise and Christians surely love to praise. In recent years the Praise Worship as taken a life of its own; driving up the Christian music industry. But engaging in praise is not new,  in 1221, St Francis of Assisi wrote this canticle:

All creatures of our God and King,

Lift up your voice and with us sing,

Alleluia! Alleluia!

Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,

And praise the Spirit, Three in One!

In 18th Century England, William Wilberforce wrote, "When engaged in worship, our souls seemed to become ignited with rapture" (Ref 2). It's spontaneous and often happens when we perceive a wonder of nature and then we can emphatically state, "Let everything that has breath, praise the Lord!"

Lionel

Ref 1: Dave Adamson. 52 Hebrew Words, Every Christian Should Know. Christian Arts Gift

Ref 2: William Wilberforce. Real Christianity, 1797 revised and updated by Dob Beltz Regal Books 2006.