The Blessing In the blessing the priest stands in for the Lord as a messenger. The Priest first declares the peace of God to His people. In the upper room as the disciples were huddled in fear for their lives, the Lord Jesus appeared. He came to them after his crucifiction and resurrection. He came to them after they had all abandoned Him. He came to them even when they had forgotten his words and teaching. He came to them when they refused to go out and proclaim the truth of His resurrection. The first words Jesus had for his disciples was, “Peace be with you.” (John 20:19) Jesus pronounces peace to his disciples. He speaks this same peace over us. It is a peace that helps us to overcome fear and doubt. It is a peace that takes us out of the upper room so that we can boldly proclaim God’s kingdom. We might run into troubles as we work to accomplish God’s mission but the peace that He gives passes all understanding and so it is unshakable. The blessing is a high mark of praise or affirmation from our God. We first see this in the creation account as God calls his creation “very good.” (Genesis 1:31) When we bless we reoffer this praise from our God. It is through Jesus that all things are made new. It is through the work of Christ that the whole creation can once again hear the words of God. It is very good! The Dismissal In the dismissal we are sent out into the world. We have gathered and heard from the Lord through his word. We have been fed by the Lord in His Holy Sacrament. Now we go into the world to share these truths. Our worship has ended but our service begins!
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