“The Lord bless you and keep you:
The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you:
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.” -Numbers 6:24-26
Found in the book of Numbers is a priestly blessing that God shares with Moses. God commands Moses to tell Aaron and his sons that this is how they are to bless the Israelite people. This blessing reminds the people that God is present. God’s people are not alone. They have been saved by God. Led by God to the promised land and God will continue to work among them. From the time of Moses to today, this blessing is often spoken among God’s people.
This past week, I was privileged to join our St. Luke’s Youth as we traveled to Ardmore, Oklahoma, to take part in Youth Force Ardmore. We connected with several churches from around Oklahoma to work on six houses. Our purpose was to restore hope to the people we encountered. It was a challenging week of mission that blessed so many people.
Each night, after worship, the St. Luke’s youth would gather for Church Chat. This is the only time of the day when the St. Luke’s youth were together, apart from the rest of the churches. We would take time to share the joys of the day and where we saw God at work. At the end of this Church Chat time, when we were all ready to go to bed, we would pause, link hands, and share the blessing found in the Book of Numbers.
This prayer is a common practice among our St. Luke’s Youth. At the close of almost every youth group session, our youth group gathers in a circle, holds hands, and speaks out loud this blessing to one another. It brings me such joy to see that they have memorized this scripture and share it with one another.
From God to Moses to youth groups in 2024, this blessing has often been spoken. It reminds us to give thanks for God’s caring presence in our lives. It also allows us to pray for one another in a specific way. We pray for God’s presence… “May his face shine upon you” and we remind ourselves that through God’s presence, we experience “peace.”
Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
