“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 Israelites. This blessing reminds God’s people that God is present. God’s people are not alone. They are blessed by God’s presence and by the work that God will do among them. From the time of Moses to today, this blessing is often spoken among God’s people.
The most current setting that I experience the sharing of this scripture is with the youth group at St. Luke’s. I love hearing this blessing being shared in our youth group. At the close of almost every youth group session, our youth group gathers in a circle, they hold hands, and they speak out loud this blessing to one another. It is a blessing to see that they have this scripture memorized and share it with one another.
Just a few weeks ago, our youth (Edmond and Downtown) traveled to Ardmore, Oklahoma to take part in YF Ardmore. Several churches from around Oklahoma participated in this event. It was a week of mission that was a blessing to 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.
From God to Moses to youth groups in 2023, 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.”
Today, I am thankful that we are not alone, that God is with us. I am also thankful that God’s presence and power among us leads us to experience freedom, joy, and peace.
-Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
