A Good Word to End Worship
When I lead worship, I try to stay out of the way. Sure, I say plenty of words and all, but if they are led correctly they point to something greater than myself. So, here’s my conundrum: whether the charge and benediction at the close of the service should be my words, as in reflecting the crux of the sermon. Or, whether the charge and benediction should be one common to the tradition and unchanged each week.
[We interrupt this blog post to give a quick working definition of “Charge” and “Benediction.” The “Charge” usually occurs at the close of worship when the pastor says, “Go do this, be this, live like this....” The “Benediction” often follows and is the “May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God...” part.]
Partly so I don’t get in the way, and partly just due to my skill-set, I tend to write most of the worship words I lead (or at least their general idea) before I speak them. For example, the sermon manuscripts I post on the blog are probably about 90% of what I actually say, and 10% of the sermon I actually preach is adds or subtracts or rewordings of the manuscript. My prayers are similar, though I ad lib a bit more in the Prayers of the People when the Spirit moves.
But I just don’t know what to think about the charge and benediction. I know a pastor who speaks a different charge each week as he walks up the aisle of the church before shaking hands at the front door. This works for him — speaking new words each week, and “processing” while he does so. The pastor looks folks in the eyes as he walks. That’s great, but I do wonder if the spotlight is a little bright on him at this point in the service.
I know another pastor who speaks the same benediction each week for a given liturgical season, one found in the Book of Common worship. The congregation then responds, participating in the charge themselves (L: Go in peace. Love and serve the Lord. P: Thanks be to God. Alleluia!) I like this fine too, but I also wonder if it’s too repetitive, surely not boring, but maybe not inspiring either.
So help me out here. Do you like benedictions that are mini-summaries, refreshers-almost, of the sermon? Do you prefer strict tried-and-true liturgy? Do you know a better way? I charge you to share a good word with us.
image of Pastor Amy Starr Redwine, Firestone Park Presbyterian Church, Akron
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I do both. Sometimes I use something from the sermon. Otherwise, I use one of two: one is from Wendell Berry’s Mad Farmer Manisfesto that a pastor I admire uses and the other is from the BCW from one of Paul’s epistles.
That’s a wonderful manifesto, and one I have not read before. Thanks for sharing!
Isn’t the answer, both
There are benedictions that have been used for millenia, and I think it is good the structure of a service pointing to the tens of thousands of previous weeks that people have participated in the same worship.
Another option would be to use a liturgical blessing and recontextualise it regularly. So you can preface it with a bit of comment: “We join together in the blessing that millions of people of faith have shared together over thousands of years”, or “We say the blessing mindful of the fact that the end of our service isn’t the end of our community” or “Let’s join in the blessing as a mark of affirmation of our commitment to live … insert sermon point here …”
I know I’m not a person of faith, so my view is very biased. But the fact that certain structures of the liturgy have formed the backbone of worship since before Christ is deeply attractive to me.
I tend to do the same trinitarian benediction each week. I’ve never really given a “charge.” Sometimes if the Spirit leads I will do a hybrid kind of charge and benediction based on the sermon or message of the day, though that does not happen often.
Thinking about this pastor you know who walks down the aisle during the benediction . . . he becomes less visible as the charge/benediction continues, leaving the congregation with only the words as he walks out of the sanctuary. And, if we are thinking of the same pastor, the words of the benediction are from scripture each week.
Thanks for the comments, folks (and for the facebook ones too). I hadn’t thought of that, Rebekah, but you’re right. This pastor we’re thinking of does become less visible the farther he gets. In fact, you could say he’s leading the way into the world by example. I didn’t remember the particular words, but that’s good info too. Hmm, lots to think about for sunday
I like to do a charge that somehow connects to the Sunday/sermon/text/season/topic, and then close with a more traditional Trinitarian benediction!
On a side note, I prefer if the charge/benediction is not muddied with other announcements (“visitors, stop by the welcome table,” “hope you’ll join our church,” “don’t forget to pick up your pledge envelopes,” etc) – the one possible exception being a reminder/invitation for a church luncheon or other event happening right after the service. In the latter case, I like the announcement to be short and sweet, maybe leave out the charge, and perhaps a transition to the benediction).
Tom Long does fabulous charge/benedictions. He takes a brief phrase from his sermon as the charge and combines it with a standard benediction. It’s not wordy, it doesn’t feel totally extemporanous (as when I make it up on the spot and am not always sure where I’m going), it connects the themes of the service in a powerful way, and gets out of the way.
My partner in ministry weekly gives this charge after the benediction and closing hymn:
Go in peace,
remember God,
keep the faith,
and wherever you live, work, rest and play,
be the church of Christ!
Go in peace, serve the Lord!
You may also like to try the favorite one of the youth at my church:
L: And the Holy Spirit said,
C; Oooooh.
It may or may not have quite the effect you are looking for.
I appreciate hearing different benedictions, both traditional and those tailored to the liturgical season. But I really appreciate a short, direct charge. Our assisting lay minister actually says it, the last words of the entire service. For instance: “Go in peace. Feed the hungry.” “Thanks be to God.”
So it’s called a charge – makes sense. I feel charged to do something when I hear those few words.
It can be either, as long as our Rock appears in your words. By using the expression “our Rock” I mean that everyone is expecting some kind of reference (tradition) from your words.
I say a brief charge based on the morning’s theme and then say a traditional benediction. One argument for saying something traditional is that it connects us with the saints. It links us with Christians of all times and places and gives the family of faith a broader context within which to worship.
A UMC friend who went to a Presbyterian seminary once said a good thing to say at the end of the service was,
“Grace, and go for it!”
I’ve enjoyed reading this discussion. My favorite part of the service is at the end with the call/benediction. At the front of the chancel steps I’m closer to the congregation than I’ve been in the rest of the service. It’s the moment of the worship that I’m able to get out of the way and let the Spirit in. The words may come from the final hymn or the sermon or somewhere else, but they come and I’m grateful.