The Ultimate Guide to Benedictions

What is a Benediction? 

The word benediction comes from Latin and literally means “good word” (bene [good] + dicere [to say, speak]). Put another way, a benediction is a blessing that “speaks well” to a person or persons. A benediction acts as a final blessing-a message of promise at the conclusion of our worship services. They are traditionally somewhat short, often drawn from the Bible, and remind us of our identities as followers of Jesus Christ and our inheritance as God’s children. 

Unfortunately, the benediction has often been overlooked. According to the Worship Sourcebook,

of all the parts that are part of the “sending,” the blessing, or benediction, is arguably the most important and the least understood. It is so important because it sends worshipers on their way with a parting word of God’s grace and blessing. (WS, p.366)

The Content of a Benediction

When it comes to the content of benedictions, there are a few things to consider. Sometimes pastors can make the error of a bland positive statement or issuing a command which may give the wrong impression that God's favor or salvation can be earned.

Instead, I want to focus on the two elements mentioned above: a benediction should state something about our identities in Christ and the promise those identities offer. This allows our parting words to convey something of the depth of God's love and grace, and does so in only a few words.

The Value of Scriptural Benedictions

As we’ve already stated, it’s a good idea to regularly use a benediction from scripture. Why? Because scripture benedictions have high authority for the church—and they are often able to share profound truths in just a few words. Personally, I love the idea of the final word being spoken to a congregation to be a blessing from God’s Word to God’s people. How can you beat that?

Let's look at three well-known benedictions, the first from Numbers (known as the Aaronic Blessing) the second from Romans, and the Third from the Psalms:

1. May the Lord bless you and keep you,
   The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you,
   The Lord lift up his face toward you, and give you peace. 

   Numbers 6:24–26

   (WEB, adapted for liturgical use — link to TPW)

2. Now to him who is able to establish you according to my Good News and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret through long ages, but now is revealed, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, is made known for obedience of faith to all the nations; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever!

   Amen.

   Romans 16:25-27 (WEB — link to TPW)

3. The Lord will keep you from all evil;

       he will keep your life.

   The Lord will keep

       your going out and your coming in

       from this time forth and forevermore.

   Psalm 121 (ESV)

One thing you’ll notice in each of these examples is who is at work. It’s not people. It is God who is blessing, God who is establishing. As moderns, we are almost always the subject. Scripture, including benedictions, have the ability to de-center us and rightly place God as the “author and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:2). As you consider various benedictions for your church services, consider which benedictions accurately place God at the center and the holy spirit as the one living and active within the benediction prayer.

Identities in God

Focusing on de-centering the individual may seem like a strange place to start with choosing benediction, but doing so helps us avoid the traps of proclaiming a work-righteous religion or, on the other end, falling into platitudes. The goal of a benediction is to vividly encounter the Christ Jesus throughout the benediction.

Let’s start with identity. Some may argue that neither of these texts speak to our identities, but that’s really not true. Each presumes that the reader is a part of God’s family. For God to bless us presumes a relationship. It is as we live into that relationship that we can experience the blessings God provides. This is true in both Numbers and Romans. 

The Aaronic Blessing

The text in Numbers is actually spoken by Aaron to Moses as he carries the role of spokesman for the Israelites, both to other nations and to God. And while the blessing may have first been written to describe the role of Moses, it has become a blessing spoken over all who follow the Lord. Similarly, when Paul writes his blessing to the community of Christians in Rome, there is implied an existing relationship in which God’s people experience the blessings of God as the people of God. As we live into our identities in Christ, we also experience the unique blessings God has to offer. 

Remember, the world is constantly making a variety of promises that are tailor-made to tempt us. “If I just buy product x, I will feel beautiful.” “If I can just buy a home in y neighborhood, I will be considered a success.” These promises are constantly vying for our attention. A great benediction offers us a different set of promises. And hearing them is necessary if we are going to avoid the not-so-subtle false promises being made every day to your congregation by the world.

The Promise

As with a statement of identity, the promise is essential for a benediction to have the kind of impact we desire. It is a reminder that the calling we have responded to—to follow Jesus—is well worth it. It may not bring material gain or societal improvement. Instead, the promise-the eternal covenant that we get to join a different kingdom altogether—and that kingdom is where God’s reign is at work. 

It’s not a visible kingdom, but it is a place where we can experience a fullness of life that cannot be experienced by climbing ladders at work or by becoming connected or amassing wealth. Each of those experiences leave us wanting more and offering less. Whereas the promise of God’s kingdom is a promise of abundance—it becomes greater as more join, and there is no end to God’s kingdom. 

Thoughts on Delivery 

As with other parts of the worship service, the deliverer of the benediction ought to be clear, confident, and succinct. I love at the end of the service when the pastor doesn’t say the benediction, but declares it as a truth as profound as any other, which acts as a catalyst to the congregation as they re-enter the world, which often feels scary and uncertain. In other words, the benediction reminds the congregation that while the world is often a dangerous place, our identity, our security, both in this life and the next, is secured. So, "go from this place in the confidence that God is with you, to the end of the age!”

One final thought. When I was preaching on a weekly basis, I found myself desiring to encapsulate the sermon in a short pithy statement. And so what I found myself doing is, when it was time for the benediction, I would again summarize the sermon in a sentence or two, and then I would return to the benediction, which I liked to memorize. (My two favorites were Numbers 6 and Ephesians 3:20-21.) In that way, the end of the service had both a new element (the sermon summary) and a consistent prayer/declaration—a blessing that reminded God’s people who and whose they were.

Wrapping it up

This is just the beginning of what could be said of benedictions, even though they are one of the briefest parts of the service. And yet, we must remember they are in a sense our final word from the pulpit as we send folks back into the world. In order to avoid the pitfalls of falling into a legalism or simply trite sayings, we ought to put some time into thinking about how we encourage and bless our flocks at the conclusion of our services. 

Pulling a few blessings from scripture that speak to our identities and promise us the inheritance of our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ is well worth the time. If we can find words that speak those truths and that echo the theme of our worship service, well that is even better.

©The Pastor's Workshop 2023, All Rights Reserved

For Subscribers: TPW's Benedictions

TPW has a wealth of benedictions on the site (with many biblical ones as well as other types-- historical, traditional, and contemporary). We encourage subscribers to explore them, thinking about how the passages intersect with your plans for preaching. Lectionary preachers will also find recommended benedictions themed with the passages focused on in the lectionary guide.