Midnight Blessing

On the eve of our first worship service in our renewed and renewing building, Pastors Kent and Rachel met with a stalwart late night group of members who offered a special midnight blessing of light and song for our re-entry. Gathering in the darkened sanctuary, the group joined in as the pastors came in singing “Seek Ye First…” and processing with a lit Christ candle and our peace bell. As spaces in the church were named, a special small candle was lit as we bid God’s light to again fill that space: the offices, music room, nursery, classrooms, the dialogue center, the sanctuary, fellowship hall, the dungeon closets, the lofty attic… all were offered up in prayer. Deborah Payne, in her public guitar debut, offered a hymn of blessing “Let Nothing Evil Cross this Door.” With the song finished, we then carried the lit candles throughout the church, each person offering a prayer and blessing in that space.
Though people come and go, and building rise and fall, the love and light of God is sustaining us still. With these simple blessings, we pray that all will feel God’s sustaining love anew through our work and in our “house,” especially the ones not made with hands, but of the heart. Thanks to all those who stayed up late and offered this blessing on behalf of all who will arrive to worship in future weeks, months and years.