Benediction based on Psalm 148

God of all the earth bless you.

God of sea creatures and ocean depths,
lightning and hail,
snow and mist,
and storm winds bless you.

God of mountains and hills,
fruit trees and cedars,
wild animals and cattle,
small animals
and flying birds bless you.

God whose majesty
transcends heaven and earth,
bless you … +

--by Andrew at South Sydney Uniting Church, for the Season of Creation, Year C

O Star-Flinging God: An Epiphany Prayer

O Star-flinging God,
whose light dances across eternity,
dazzle us into your presence
this new year.
Open our hearts to the mystery of your love.

Awaken us to your presence,
knit to the ordinary.
Reveal to us what is possible, but not yet present.
Heal us, that we might be healers.

Reconcile us to you and to ourselves,
that our living might be reconciling.

Stop us often, we pray
with news that is good
with hope that holds
with truth that transforms with a Word
tailored to this trail we're on.

May the word of your grace guide our steps
like the sun by day
and the north star by night,
as we travel into the gift of a new year. Amen.

— written by Glenn Mitchell, and posted on MINemergent’s Daily Communique.

Go in peace; love and care for one another in the name of Christ;
and may the Spirit of God which filled John and Jesus,
fill your hearts, souls and minds;
may the power of God which upheld them,
strengthen you for each day;
and may the love of God which directed their every action
be your guiding light and your shining star,
both now and forevermore. 

 Amen.

--the Rev. Richard J. Fairchild, found here.

Solemn Blessings of Christmas

May the God of the angels, who heralded Christ's birth,
bring joy to your hearts this day and always.
Amen.

May the God of love, who gave his only Son to be born for you,
fill your life with love and peace.
Amen.

May Emmanuel, God with us,
be with you in all your doings and all your celebrations,
until he brings you into his eternal kingdom.
Amen.

And may almighty God, Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit,
bless you now and forever.
Amen.


— Rev. Thomas Weitzel, ELCA pastor, found here.

Benediction for Christmas

The child is born! Alleluia!
Our God has come among us!
Let the whole earth rejoice!
Let us leave the manger and return to our daily routines,
knowing that we have seen the Lord,
and glorifying and praising God
for all that we have heard and seen.


Alleluia! Our God is now here!
Go forth, with full confidence and joy
that you have seen the Messiah.


Alleluia! Our God is now here!
Go forth to spread the Good News wherever you go,
sharing God’s love and promise with all whom you meet.
Go into the world to find the lost,
    heal the broken,
      feed the hungry,
        release the prisoner,
          rebuild the nations,
            bring peace among people,
              and make music in every heart.


Alleluia! Our God is now here!
In the name of our God,
Creator, Christ, and Holy Spirit,
we cry out with the angels in the heavens
and the shepherds in the fields:
Alleluia! Our God is now here! Amen.


-- from Miracle in the Manger, posted on the Society of Saint Andrew's Advent e-Book 2013

Christmas Benediction: Our Savior born; a seed planted

Our Savior born.
A seed planted.
Roots driven into the earth.
Soil quakes.
A mighty tree shoots toward the heavens.
Branches sprout, extending hands of praise.
Leaves flower, shouting glory and grace.

The family tree made complete.
Singular.
All-encompassing.
Perfect.

God the Father.
We the family.

Brothers, sisters, kindred.
The seed has been planted.
And we are one.
Halleluia.


-- adapted from a benediction written by Mike Yager, and posted on Ecclesia Houston. 

Christmas Eve Benediction

We rejoice in God’s steadfast presence in our lives,
and in God’s unique presence in the life of Jesus of Nazareth—
born of Mary, growing through childhood into an adult ministry,
in all his life manifesting the peace, love, and justice of God;
his voice undimmed by the centuries
his call and his promise as clear to us as it was to his disciples so long ago.

Come to us, Lord Jesus,
Be born in us this night, in our hearts, our minds, our lives.
May the light of your life be kindled in us,
And lead us to the shining truth,
of God with us, God for us, God in us. Amen.


-- Jeanyne Slettom, found at Re:Worship.

Trinity Sunday Benediction

Go out and in all of life, worship the Lord.

Entrust yourself to the winds of God’s Spirit;
put to death selfish desires,
and offer yourself for God’s mission in the world.

And may God give strength to you and to all;
May Christ Jesus bless you with peace;
And may the Holy Spirit, whispering within your hearts,
give you assurance that you are God’s children.

--Nathan Nettleton, found at Re-Worship blog.

Trinitarian benediction based on 2 Corinthians 13:14

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, 

and the love of God, 

and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 

Amen.

Pentecost Benediction (Acts 2, Psalm 104, John 14)

The God who made this amazing universe

is creating you anew every day.
Jesus Christ, the resurrected One,
offers you peace that never dies.
The Holy Spirit is setting your hearts on fire—
right here, right now.
Go in peace, and be transformed,
that you may change the world. Amen.

--Laura Jaquith Bartlett, from Ministry Matters

Benedictions for Epiphany Season

Christ the Son of God perfect in you the image of his glory
and gladden your hearts with the good news of his kingdom;
and the blessing …


Christ our Lord,
to whom kings bowed down in worship and offered gifts,
reveal to you his glory
and pour upon you the riches of his grace;
and the blessing …


May God the Father,
who led the wise men by the shining of a star
to find the Christ, the Light from light,
lead you also in your pilgrimage to find the Lord.
Amen.
May God the Son,
who turned water into wine at the wedding feast at Cana,
transform your lives and make glad your hearts.
Amen.
May God the Holy Spirit,
who came upon the beloved Son
at his baptism in the river Jordan,
pour out his gifts on you
who have come to the waters of new birth.
Amen.
And the blessing …


May God the Father,
who led the wise men by the shining of a star
to find the Christ, the Light from light,
lead you also in your pilgrimage to find the Lord.
Amen.
May God, who has delivered us from the dominion of darkness,
give us a place with the saints in light
in the kingdom of his beloved Son.
Amen.
May the light of the glorious gospel of Christ
shine in your hearts and fill your lives
with his joy and peace.
Amen.
And the blessing …

Baptism of Christ

May God, who in Christ gives us a spring of water
welling up to eternal life,
perfect in you the image of his glory;
and the blessing …


Presentation of Christ in the Temple

Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, who was wounded for our sins,
that you may bear in your life the love and joy and peace
which are the marks of Jesus in his disciples;
and the blessing …


Christ the Son of God, born of Mary,
fill you with his grace to trust his promises and obey his will;
and the blessing …

-- from the Church of England

Benediction: May the Source of life hold you in faith

May the Source of life hold you in the faith;
the Word of life speak clearly in truth around you;
and Breath of life, of grace, of wisdom,
sing in your inmost being this day and all your days. Amen.

--The Rev. Jeff Shrowder, The Billabong

Advent Benedictions

Advent 1 Benediction
Be people of hope. 
Let hope live in your heart and share the hope of Christ with all you meet. 
Share hope by noticing someone else’s humanity. 
Share hope by listening to someone’s story. 
Share hope by praying for our world. 
In this Advent season, we need to see, feel, and share hope. 
As you go out into the wonder of God’s creations, share hope with those you meet. 

And the blessing of God Almighty, 
The Source of Our Being, 
The Light in Our Darkness,
Spirit of Wisdom in Our Seeking, 
rest upon you and remain within you, always.
Amen. 

Advent 2 Benediction
Be people of peace.
Let peace live in your heart and share the peace of Christ with all you meet.
Share peace by acting out of compassion and not fear.
Share peace by listening to all sides of the story.
Share peace by praying for our world.
In this Advent season, we need to see, feel, and share peace.
As you go out into the wonder of God’s creations, share peace and hope with those you meet. 

And the blessing of God Almighty, 
The Source of Our Being, 
The Light in Our Darkness,
Spirit of Wisdom in Our Seeking, 
rest upon you and remain within you, always.
Amen. 

Advent 3 Benediction
Be people of joy.
Let joy live in your heart and share the joy of Christ with all you meet.
Share joy by seeing the good in each other.
Share joy by remembering good times and hoping for good times to come.
Share joy by praying for our world.
In this Advent season, we need to see, feel, and share joy.
As you go out into the wonder of God’s creations, share joy, peace, and hope with those you meet.

And the blessing of God Almighty, 
The Source of Our Being, 
The Light in Our Darkness,
Spirit of Wisdom in Our Seeking, 
rest upon you and remain within you, always.
Amen. 

Advent 4 Benediction
Be people of love.
Let love live in your heart and share the love of Christ with all you meet.
Share love by loving those you see regularly.
Start by loving your community.
Share love by loving those you do not know.
How do your actions affect the rest of God’s creation?
Share love by praying for our world.
In this Advent season, we need to see, feel, and share love.
As you go out into the wonder of God’s creations, share love, joy, peace, and hope with those you meet. 

And the blessing of God Almighty, 
The Source of Our Being, 
The Light in Our Darkness,
Spirit of Wisdom in Our Seeking, 
rest upon you and remain within you, always.
Amen. 

Christmas Eve Benediction
Tonight, as we celebrate God is with us in the birth of Jesus, let us continue to live lives of hope, peace, joy, and love. Share God’s love with the shepherds you meet on the hillside. Let the communion of the Holy Spirit fill your heart with glad tidings like the angels. And the Prince of Peace born again tonight, may He live in your heart to comfort and challenge you as you seek to live as one of his disciples.

And the blessing of God Almighty, 
The Source of Our Being, 
The Light in Our Darkness,
Spirit of Wisdom in Our Seeking, 
rest upon you and remain within you, always.
Amen. 

--The Rev. Susannah DeBenedetto, from LiturgyLink.

Easter Benediction

When it takes hold, resurrection doesn’t let go,
it shakes the dead awake,
it shakes the darkness from the light,
it shakes the silence from our throats
and it wrestles death from all that is dying

Let us go out into the world
and in the upheaval of resurrection
seek out the life

of awakening,

of enlightenment,

of proclamation,

of revived faith.

And the blessing of God Almighty,

Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer,

rest upon you today and always.

Amen.

~ adapted by me from a prayer written written by Roddy Hamilton, and posted at http://www.nkchurch.org.uk/

Aaronic Blessing

The Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make His face shine upon you

and be gracious to you;

the Lord turn His face toward you

and give you peace.

--Aaron (Numbers 6:24–26, NIV) 

Blessing (Psalm 51)

(inspired by Psalm 51)

May God create in you a clean heart,
a transformed heart,
a heart that knows and seeks and loves
the justice and mercy of the Lord.

May you accept the gift of salvation –
not your personal possession to be coveted,
but His work, accomplished in the destruction of Sin
on the cross of Jesus Christ.

And may you humble yourself before the Lord,
coming before Him with a broken spirit,
a contrite heart
receiving from His hand
great compassion and unfailing love.

--posted on Jeff’s Blog. 

Epiphany blessing

“He is my chosen one, and I am pleased with him.

I have put my Spirit upon him.

He will reveal justice to the nations.” Isaiah 42:1

May the path
that Christ walks
to bring justice
upon the earth,
to bring light
to those who sit
in darkness,
to bring out those
who live in bondage,
to bring new things
to all creation:
may this path
run through our life.
May we be
the road Christ takes.

-- Jan Richardson (1947- ), American Methodist poets, writer, teacher, and artist, from The Painted Prayerbook. 

Blessing: The Gift of Stillness

May you grow still enough to hear
    the small noises earth makes in preparing for the long sleep of winter,
        so that you yourself may grow calm and grounded deep within.

May you grow still enough to hear
    the trickling of water seeping into the ground,
        so that your soul may be softened and healed,
            guided in its flow.

May you grow still enough to hear
    the splintering of starlight in the winter sky
        and the roar at earth's fiery core.

May you grow still enough to hear
    the stir of a single snowflake in the air
        so that your inner silence may turn into hushed expectation.

Peace..... the angel announced.
But peace is as much task as gift.

Only if we become calm as earth,
    fluid as water,
        and blazing as fire
will we be able to rise to the task of peacemaking,
and the air will stir with the rush of wings of angels arriving to help us.

This is why I wish you that great inner stillness
which alone allows us to speak, even today,
    without irony of "peace on earth"
    and, without despair, to work for it.

--Br. David Steindelrast, OSB, from the Process and Faith website

Christmas Affirmation

Let the love that shaped earth and heaven
dwell within us this Christmas.

Let the love that created humanity
dwell within us this Christmas.

Let the love that overcomes suffering and hatred
dwell within us this Christmas.

Let the love that causes us to rejoice with loved ones
dwell within us this Christmas.

Let the love that forgives and renews
dwell within us this Christmas.

Let the love that brings reconciliation after separation
dwell within us this Christmas.

Let the love that brings the blessing of peace
dwell within us this Christmas.

And may we share that peace
with all people near and far.

Amen.

from Prayers for Christmas, posted on the Christian Aid website

Advent 1 Benediction adapted from 1 Thessalonians 3

May our God and Father Godself
and our Lord Jesus Christ direct you on your way;
And may the Lord make you increase
and abound in love for one another and for all,
just as God abounds in love for you.
And may God so strengthen your hearts in holiness
that you may be blameless before our God
at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

And the Blessing of God Almighty,
Father Son, and Holy Spirit,
abide with you and remain with you always.

Amen.

-- from 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13