Category Archives: ordination

Blessing with Water

This prayer of blessing was used at our oblate formation class on humility. I could not find the source of this blessing to provide a proper citation, although it seems there are several forms of this prayer. I wanted to get this version online because I thought it would make a good ordination prayer. Each part of the body is touched as the blessing is given. In the case of my oblate course, we were touched with water.

May God bless you with integrity and seal you with the sanctifying Spirit.

Bless your Head so that all of your thoughts come forth from the well of God’s Being, filling you with grace and peace.

Bless your Eyes so that you may see God’s Presence and Providence in your life.

Bless your Ears that you might hear the cry of the poor all around you and the whisper of God’s Word.

Bless your Lips that you might freely and lovingly proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Bless your Hands to hold and to heal the many lives that are broken, that you may be free to bring hope to the hopeless.

Bless your Feet to walk in the ways of Jesus, to run and never grow weary, to stand up for justice unafraid.

Bless your Heart with forgiveness, with warmth and compassion and a genuine generosity toward all who are in need.

I place my hand on your shoulder to bless your Entire Being. May you be freed from all unforgiveness. May all the wounds of your life be transformed into compassion. May your life belong entirely to Jesus. May you be filled afresh with the Holy Spirit.

We send you as wounded healers to set others free.

We send you to model the transformed Christian life within your home, your family, your Church, your community.

We send you be become Jesus in the world.

The Sacraments as Means of Grace part 4: Ordination

Everyone has pivotal moments in life that transform them, sometimes for good and sometimes for bad. Some of these moments are God’s means of grace, where we may either be empowered by and towards God (2 Kings 2:9-15), or taken to a new level of hardness (Exodus 8:32; 9:12). Although not all are sacraments, I recall: accepting Jesus as my savior during a Vacation Bible School, my baptism, my 3rd grade teacher moving me to the 4th grade reading group, the first time I was aware of racism toward me, when a camp counselor encouraged me because he knew I didn’t need to rededicate my life to Christ, the first time a teen introduced me as his youth pastor, the death of a friend, when I told my father about my call to ministry, when I realized I could succeed in college, my wedding, the birth of my daughter, my ordination, and graduation from seminary, (I intentionally left out of that list events that moved me in a negative direction.) as one-time events which left a lasting impact. Continue reading The Sacraments as Means of Grace part 4: Ordination