A Resource for Congregations
Most religious traditions have blessings of various types that are used within worship services or other contexts. Some common examples include special texts for weddings, worship benedictions, baptisms and other rites of passage, and funeral commendations. Congregations sometimes use blessings (or “dedications”) when special items, people, or buildings become part of a congregation. For example, a church might bless new hymnals or screens that were added to a sanctuary, recognizing the centrality of those items in the church’s life.
These resource provides four examples of blessings that congregations have created and used in their contexts. Each has an environmental theme.
What’s included (in docx, Google Doc, and PDF formats):
- Two examples of solar panel blessings, used after congregations installed them.
- A blessing of the soil, used for a community garden.
- A blessing of the animals, used as part of a special service to bless people’s companion animals.
You are welcome to use and adapt these blessings. Crediting the original authors is appreciated.
We want to expand this document over time, so please send us other creative blessings you create and we’ll expand this resource! Later this year, we’ll be launching a new online tool with many user-submitted resources for congregational use in worship, education, youth or children’s ministry and so on, so please send other creation care-related items to us at info@iowafaithandclimate.org.