Rev. Jeanne's Hand Blessing Ceremony from the UCH 60th Anniversary Celebration

There have been a lot of requests for Rev. Jeanne’s Hand Blessing from the Anniversary Celebration. So we made it todays blog. -Editors

The Work of Our Hands: A Blessing for the United Church of Hayward, UCC 60th Anniversary Celebration © Rev Jeanne Loveless

The Lord your God has blessed the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through the vast wilderness. During all of these years of wandering, the Lord your God has been with you and you have not lacked anything.  – Deuteronomy 2:7

These are our hands of our Beloved Community, young and moving, old and wrinkled, and somewhere in between.

These are the hands that prepare the food, and hang the banners, and tend the altar- These are the hands that turn up the sound, and create and fold bulletins, and replace the toner, and make the copies.

These are the hands that play the piano, and hold the music for singing, These are the hands that direct the choir.

These are the hands that built this community, that remained when we struggled, and write the checks for our offering and bring the things we need when no one is looking.

These are the hands that bring the food for the barrel, and volunteer at the shelter, and teach adults how to read.

These are the hands that are coming to meetings, and leading our council, and making bold decisions about our kingdom legacy .

These are the hands that hold our elders and hold our children and grandchildren and hold our immigrant Muslim, and LGBTQIA neighbors and hold each other when the journey is dark and when our nation has lost its way.

These are the hands that reach out when we are joyous, that protest injustice, that dismantle white privilege and wipe our tears when we are grieving.

 And these are the hands that we raise in praise on this day, and clap together with joy, and that have arranged these chairs so we can sit down in this Holy sanctuary.

These are the hands that God has blessed and will bless again in all of our years of wilderness wandering  Because God has been pillar of cloud by day -pillar of fire by night with us- Holding each of us in the palm of his hand.

And Beloved Community when we stand in and move and join hands from that place  we truly lack nothing.