"To give someone a blessing is the most significant affirmation we can offer. It is more than a word of praise or appreciation; it is more than pointing out someone's talents or good deeds; it is more than putting someone in the light. To give a blessing is to affirm, to say 'yes' to a person's Belovedness." A quote about Blessing from Henri Nouwen in The Heart of Henri Nouwen by Rebecca Laird and Michael Christensen. To read a complete review of the book at Spirituality & Practice, here.
"We celebrate the fact that through the Holy Spirit’s presence within us God directs us to ways of living and ministering that welcome all people, that recognize that we need each other, that acknowledge that we all have gifts and abilities which are given to us so that we might share them, so that we might be good stewards of them. We are called to use all that we have, our physical, emotional, financial, and technical skills, to serve others and to glorify God. On this Pentecost we rejoice in the hope that we are not alone but instead are joined together by water, the Holy Spirit, and the presence of the living Christ in the bread and wine of the Eucharist." (From the Pentecost Day sermon by The Rev. Peter Swarr. Read the entire sermon here.)
