This week, our T-UU-sday evening class created blessings, first for the whole group, and then for individuals in the group. Each person wrote on an envelope what they might need a blessing for at this particular moment, and then each other person present wrote a blessing on the card within for that person.

It was such a sacred experience to watch those blank cards fill with words of love and care. The blessings offered were not all elaborate, but they came from the heart. And each person went home with a card filled with just the blessings they needed in that moment.

It is a vulnerable thing to ask for a blessing. I was taught in high school that anyone who was not Catholic could stand in the communion line and cross their arms over their chest if they wanted to receive a blessing. My understanding was that priests were supposed to know that when you did this, it was because you couldn’t take communion, but you did want a blessing. I only tried this once. When I got to the front of the line, the priest tried to hand me a wafer, saw my crossed arms, looked vaguely confused, then annoyed, and then offered some brief rote blessing.

Rather than feeling blessed in that moment, I felt embarrassed. Rather than feeling love, I felt cast off.

I hope that this was not the experience people left with after asking for a blessing from their peers on Tuesday night. I hope they each went home with some words that were meaningful in that moment, that lifted up that which was within them that needed to be lifted up.

What blessing might you need in your life right now? Where might you be able to go to find the blessing you need? Who might you ask for help?

I hope in this congregation we can always know where to go when we need a blessing. I hope that we can always know we’ll find just what we need.

Blessings,

Allison