BENEDICTION
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Every winter we take what we call a
“Wintertour.” Sometimes we see a lot of people along the way. This time we
saw a few and missed many. We had two primary objectives, but don't want
anyone we saw on the way to think themselves “secondary.” We had a date in
Pocatello, Idaho and another in Berkeley, California.
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This was the 50th Anniversary of my
graduation from Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley. I'm not much for
alumni gatherings or banquets, but what the heck. It might be interesting
to see what happened to our class.
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We paid $25 each for banquet tickets
in the hall where Jean was assistant cook for two years.
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We arrived to discover that only one
other member of my class was present. That explains why I was invited to
do the benediction. At first I tried to get out of the job. A benediction
is something people are itchy to get past, usually after a too-long program.
It's not my thing, really. The Alumni Director insisted, so I reluctantly
agreed.
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Now, if you ever get into a position
where you are called upon for a benediction you should know that there are
books with many fine and even historic benedictions. I generally don't like
them, so usually create my own.
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I recalled that our class was present
when the new chapel was dedicated. In fact, several of us were on the committee
to decide how to dedicate it. With all due humility we dedicated it ourselves.
I also remembered that we had questions about the chapel Window of the Great
Commission. There was nothing wrong with the window. In fact it is worth
some hours of contemplation. Unfortunately it is at the back where people
only glance during their hurried leaving.
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Our questions about the window came
out of New Testament studies, long before the Jesus Seminar that came up
with the “Authentic Sayings of Jesus.” We knew Jesus never spoke the
words of the “Great Commission.” Yet here they were at the base of the window,
“Go make disciples of all nations…”
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Great marching orders for a seminary,
I am sure, but worth a background check.
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The rest of that text adds, as I commented
prior to delivering my benediction, “baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all
that I have commanded you…”
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I thought it probably a blessing that
the window only had the words to “go and make disciples of all nations,”
without the confusion of a Trinitarian formula with a mandate to baptize.
Teaching “everything” Jesus may have said might be hard to discover, but
has a worthy ring to it. But it's a saying loaded with many of the creedal
struggles of early centuries. Frankly, some of us in our class wondered how
it got on the window.
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But I decided there was merit in working
it into my benediction. I saw the historic connection between our 50-year
class, such as it was, and the chapel and thus the words on the window. I
could make a benediction out of that I thought.
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I told the people that I would use the
word “Go,” from the window, and also the last line of the text that
was not in the window…”I am with you always ….”
The benediction therefore tonight is this:
Go! As we have been sent…to all nations and places.
Go! Where we never dreamed we might go.
Go! To be present in churches, schools and hospitals.
Go! To bedsides and gravesides.
Go! And be disciples.
Go! As ones sent.
And I am with you always…..
I am with you always….
I am with you always.
Believe it!.............And go!..........Amen.”
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There was a silent moment, then applause.
I've never heard applause for a benediction. Perhaps they were applauding
because it was brief, or maybe because the long program was finally over.
The seminary president shook my hand as did others. Unexpected. I didn't
think it so special. Somehow it fit. Maybe I should think again about the
value of doing benedictions. “Go…I am with you always.” What
more can one hope for?
─ Art Morgan February 2006
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