Thoughts on Invocation and Benediction

[St. SteVen]

Let's not forget this one. @Lizbeth

Romans 16:16 NIV
Greet one another with a holy kiss.
All the churches of Christ send greetings.

Even the scribe for the book of Romans sent a greeting!

Romans 16:22 NIV
I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord.

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[Lambano]

Meeting for coffee, an invocation and benediction may look like this:

Having just sat down with your coffee, lift your cup and say, "May God be present with us here."
To which your coffee guest would likely reply, "Amen." while lifting the cup.
On departure you could say, "The Lord's blessing on you and yours."
To which your coffee guest would likely reply, "Likewise."

Thank you; that clarifies what you had in mind, and fits well with "whenever two or more are gathered in my name".

 

[Lambano]

Here's one I never understood.

MAY THE GROUND RISE TO MEET YOU.

Sounds like a face-plant in the gravel to me. - LOL

I recognize that as an old Irish blessing, and it may have something to do with whiskey....

Okay; I googled it, and the benediction actually reads,

 

[Lambano]

I thought "Godspeed" would be a good invocation when I take my shut-in friend grocery shopping, but I just googled it (actually "bing-ed" it), and it turns out it doesn't mean "may God speed up this undertaking", but rather is derived from the old English benediction, "God spede", the latter word meaning "prosperity", i.e. "May God prosper you".

 

[Lambano]

How does one gather in Jesus name? Isnt that a Christian assembly? Jesus is always with us, but if we are with unbelievers, is that a gathering in Jesus; name (unless its a Bible study?). I don't think it is.

Okay; that's a good point. I can understand how some might interpret the qualification "in my name" as a formal gathering.

What I'm seeing now is more a sense of living in the awareness of Jesus's bonding presence between ourselves and our brothers and sisters in Christ.

 

[Taken]

Simplistic without identifying who or what.

Invocation ~ asking
Benediction ~ offering

 

[St. SteVen]

... living in the awareness of Jesus's bonding presence between ourselves and our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Yes. Even living AND acknowledging... (verbally)

There is power in these things we say. How often we fear to say them. Bowing to political correctness instead.

And I'm not saying we should be Christian social bulldozers. Some tact is in order.
Most folks don't mind being blessed by such things. Christian, or not.

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[St. SteVen]

Simplistic without identifying who or what.

Invocation ~ asking
Benediction ~ offering

I understand "asking" for Invocation.
Why would you say "offering" for Benediction?

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[Lizbeth]

Let's not forget this one. @Lizbeth

Romans 16:16 NIV
Greet one another with a holy kiss.
All the churches of Christ send greetings.

Even the scribe for the book of Romans sent a greeting!

Romans 16:22 NIV
I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord.

/

Pray, bless, greet. Yes, sure. Christians do those things often without giving it a thought. I don't know why this needs a thread, unless you are trying to establish or justify a ritual. We're not supposed to let the left hand know what the right hand is doing.

 

[St. SteVen]

Pray, bless, greet. Yes, sure. Christians do those things often without giving it a thought.

Sure.
But maybe we should give it a thought.
And if we don't give it a thought, they could fall by the wayside.

I don't know why this needs a thread, unless you are trying to establish or justify a ritual.

The thread gives us a framework to discuss it.
Had you thought of "Pray, bless, greet." as Invocation and Benediction before?
It gives these activities some weight. A reason to not let them slip away.

You gave no response to the invocations and benedictions I quoted from the New Testament.
After you had claimed they were relics of the law and the old covenant. (not your words)

We're not supposed to let the left hand know what the right hand is doing.

That seems completely misapplied here.

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[Lizbeth]

What do you make of this?

Luke 10:5 NIV
“When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’

Matthew 10:13 NIV
If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you.

Mark 5:34 NIV
He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

Luke 24:36 NIV
While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

Mark 10:16 NIV
And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.

Luke 24:50-51 NIV
When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them.
51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.


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Jesus is our Head. If He instructs or leads us to do or say something at any time, we should do it. But I don't believe we should try to turn an instruction for one specific occasion and circumstance into a formula or ritual and apply it in every circumstance all the time. There is no "life" (of the Spirit) in doing that.

Jesus blessed at various times. Do you think speaking a blessing to others is reserved for "qualified clergy" only? Did Jesus bless people every time He or they departed to go somewhere else?

This discussion feels "Catholic" to me.

 

[Lizbeth]

What does that have to do with the topic?

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I was trying to address the apparent ecclesiasticalness here. (if that's a word)

 

[Lizbeth]

Sounds as if you never been on a leadership board at a church or
understand what is required to make sure the roof doesn't leak and that the bills get paid.
Not to mention putting up with fine folks like you. - LOL

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That's not the same thing as coming together for the purpose of worshiping and seeking the Lord, to minister to Him and to be ministered to by Him, and minister one to another. Jesus is always with us and of course we can come together for the purpose of dealing with practical business and pray for God's help and wisdom with them, but that isn't what Jesus was particularly talking about in that verse. When we come together as a Body in His name we drop all the cares of life to focus on Him and be available for Him.

 

[Lizbeth]

Sure.
But maybe we should give it a thought.
And if we don't give it a thought, they could fall by the wayside.


The thread gives us a framework to discuss it.
Had you thought of "Pray, bless, greet." as Invocation and Benediction before?
It gives these activities some weight. A reason to not let them slip away.

You gave no response to the invocations and benedictions I quoted from the New Testament.
After you had claimed they were relics of the law and the old covenant. (not your words)


That seems completely misapplied here.

/

This is a conversation only "qualified clergy" would be interested in. Don't think I have anything more to say here.

 

[St. SteVen]

Jesus is our Head. If He instructs or leads us to do or say something at any time, we should do it.

Oh my. What happened to what you said earlier?
"Formal liturgies, order of service, and such belonged to the Law and the Temple. Jesus came and showed us how to serve in the new way of the Spirit, in the simplicity of Christ, not the old way of formulas and rituals and liturgies." - Lizbeth

But I don't believe we should try to turn an instruction for one specific occasion and circumstance into a formula or ritual and apply it in every circumstance all the time. There is no "life" (of the Spirit) in doing that.

Right. That's not what I am saying.

Jesus blessed at various times. Do you think speaking a blessing to others is reserved for "qualified clergy" only? Did Jesus bless people every time He or they departed to go somewhere else?

That was an OP question. Glad you agree with my view.

This discussion feels "Catholic" to me.

You say that like it's a bad thing. - LOL

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[St. SteVen]

I was trying to address the apparent ecclesiasticalness here. (if that's a word)

Not my intention.

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[St. SteVen]

God's help and wisdom with them, but that isn't what Jesus was particularly talking about in that verse.

That's what the verse looks like in isolation. In context, it's totally business.

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[St. SteVen]

This is a conversation only "qualified clergy" would be interested in.

Let's count your number of posts. - LOL

Don't think I have anything more to say here.

Thanks for your participation.
May the Lord bless you richly.

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[Lambano]

May the Lord bless you richly.

In case anyone wants to see a benediction offered for the benefit of a sister in Christ, in an informal situation, by a non-clergy member, this is what it might look like.

 

[St. SteVen]

In case anyone wants to see a benediction offered for the benefit of a sister in Christ, in an informal situation, by a non-clergy member, this is what it might look like.

Thanks.
I was just remembering that back in the 80s we used to hear Christians saying "Lord willing" all the time.
Haven't heard that much of late.

James 4:13-15 NIV
Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city,
spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”
14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life?
You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

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