To modern ears, benedictions may sound like archaic and rigid conclusions to worship services. Why not just say, “You’re dismissed”?
But what if benedictions reach down into our deepest hopes? What if they train us to have God-sized expectations for the future? And what if they aren’t just for pastors in worship services, but for all of us in everyday life?
Benedictions are gospel blessings that teach us to expect what only God can give, and the Bible is filled with them. God’s first word to humanity was to bless them (Gen. 1:28). He commanded Israel’s priests to place his blessing over his people (Num. 6:22–27). As Jesus’s final act before ascending to heaven, he lifted his hands and blessed his disciples (Luke 24:51). Most of the New Testament letters include at least one benediction, and God’s last words to us in the Bible are a benediction: “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen” (Rev. 22:21).
Why do benedictions matter for us today? Here are five reasons we should recover the use of them in our worship services. Read More
I personally came to appreciate the use of a benediction at the conclusion of a worship service after attending the worship services of a church in which the pastor, after making a few announcements, routinely dismissed the congregation with the words, "See you all next week." If it was anything, it was anti-climatic. There was not even a closing song.
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