God Bless

September 4, 2008 · Print This Article

I thought it was so cool, when I was pregnant with Theo, when people would stand up and give me their seat on the PATH train. It happened only a few times, but when it did, I was incredibly grateful. “What a kind person,” I would think, “who notices when others might be in need, a person who has respect for how hard it might be to stand up on a bouncy train with such a big belly, and more importantly, respect for the vulnerability of the new life growing inside me.” It was a big deal to me.

Now that Theo is born, and he travels with me in his stroller or baby carrier, I get another even more stirring and moving response. When I go for walks with him, people look at him, smile, and say “Awww.” Then they look at me and say “God bless”. Now, people have said “God bless” to me before, especially during allergy season when I sneeze constantly. But this feels different. It’s not an automatic, rote response. It is heartfelt and genuine. When it is spoken, there is eye contact, there is human connection. There is a knowing, loving look in their eyes, which is a blessing in itself.

God bless. It is part prayer, part proclamation. It is a prayer that this new life will be blessed, healthy, and strong. It is also a proclamation of what is: New life, and life itself, is a gift from God.

God bless. What if we said this tiny prayer to one another as we shared the Peace during the liturgy, giving thanks for the gift of our life together and praying for a blessed future? What if these two powerful words were to become a refrain of St. Paul @ 125, as we honor the past and ask God to make our future one of abundance and grace and passionate discipleship?

God bless us with new ministries in our community and new members to join in our service. God bless the Sharing Place, St. Paul Center for Caring, and our partners in the community. God bless all God’s people with discernment and wisdom. God bless us with compassion. God bless us with renewed vision and energy. God bless us so that we might be a blessing to others.

We can call on God’s name and pray these prayers because God does bless us through the love God shows for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us and for our salvation (Romans 5:8–9). As we go forward into the fall and beyond, let’s keep our eyes on the risen Christ who is our hope, our nourishment, and our life, so that we will know we are blessed, and so that we know in whose name we pray, “God bless.”

God Bless

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