Blessing Sunday

In pop culture and social media, the hashtag blessed (#blessed) is used in many ways. Some people use #blessed to express gratitude for positive events or circumstances, whether personal achievements, relationships or daily joys. It’s also frequently used to showcase success or good fortune, such as buying a new house or going on an exotic vacation; it signals to others that life is going well. Online, #blessed can serve as a humblebrag. People might use it to share accomplishments in a way that appears humble but is also a way of showing off: “I just got offered my dream job with an amazing salary and benefits, but now I have to figure out how to balance all this success and still have time for myself—#blessed.” The overuse of #blessed has prompted many to mock and critique its superficial or materialistic interpretation of blessings, contrasting it with a focus on more meaningful aspects of life.

However, in the Christian tradition, the concept of blessing is something entirely different. Throughout scripture, we see countless blessings bestowed, from the patriarchs, like Isacc, blessing their children, to Jesus blessing the bread, the fish, and the little children who gather around Him. As Fredrick Buechner beautifully articulates, “In the biblical sense, if you give me your blessing, you irreversibly convey into my life not just something of the beneficial power and vitality of who you are, but something also of the life-giving power of God, in whose name the blessing is given.” Rather than focusing on materialistic or personal gain, the Christian understanding of blessing carries the weight of divine affirmation and the promise of God’s presence and care.

Sunday, August 11, is Blessing Sunday at First Baptist, and we invite you to join us for worship as we regather after summer and recommit ourselves to God and the church. It’s a day of celebration where we will bless children, educators and staff as they prepare for a new school year. We’ll also have the joy of gifting Bibles to our third and sixth graders and blessing the church year as we begin fall programming. Adding to this special day, we will hear a new original song by Kyle Matthews, “The Blessing Comes First.”

The blessings we impart are an affirmation of God’s deep love for each of us and our church community. They acknowledge the inherent worth of every person, not because of what we do, what we have, or where we went on vacation this summer, but simply because of who we are—beloved children of God.

—Carol

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