May the Holy One bless you and keep you.
May the Holy One shine light upon you and be gracious to you.
May the Holy One turn towards you and give you peace.
– Numbers 6:24-26
When offered, some prayers transport us to the time we first heard them. This blessing from the Book of Numbers takes me back to Happening, a youth renewal weekend within the Episcopal Church. As a teenager in the 1990s, it was the first time I remember receiving an individual blessing. I can still feel the hand of Father David (Canan) on my head as he spoke those words over me. It began the desire to claim my faith apart from my family.
I didn’t fully understand what the words meant then, but there was a warmth and an undeniable holy presence in that moment. Something in my heart shone brightly at the thought of God turning toward me and giving me peace.
This prayer came to mind as I approach my ordination to the priesthood next week. It is often referred to as the “priestly blessing” or the “Aaronic blessing” because the prayer was given by God through Moses to his brother Aaron for the people of Israel. Amid their wandering through the desert, God reminded them of God’s love and protection. What strikes me about this prayer is that it is not an “I” prayer. The priests may speak the words, but the blessing itself comes from God.
The three years I have been in community with you have been filled with precious moments of light, grace, and turning toward one another. I am deeply grateful, and I carry you with me.
As clergy naturally come and go from St. David’s, something remains true. The love of God never changes. So, as I depart, I raise my heart and hand in a blessing that you continue to know God’s light and grace, and I trust that God will continue to turn toward you and offer you peace.
Emily+
The Rev. Emily Given
Published October 3, 2024