On Monday, June 19, 2017, a friend of mine asked me to bless the first house she had bought. I was honored by the request and thought it was appropriate to ask God to be present in the home with the woman and her young daughter. This is what I said on that occasion.
It seems very appropriate to me to ask that one’s house be blessed. We are so intimately connected to the places that we call home. Countless hours are spent there, and life unfolds, often joyful and fulfilling, sometimes with grief. Where else can you witness the full range of human endeavor and experience?
I am honored to lead us in a short dedication of your new home. In one of the Proverbs of Israel, one of her wise people said, “A house is built by wisdom and becomes strong through good sense.” I pray that for you.
I want to begin by asking God to join us now. Let this be the entry blessing for all the goings and comings your front door will witness.
Our Father, we ask you to enter this home and join us now in the dedication of this house. May your presence be felt at all times and be a source of comfort to these residents, and we ask you to walk out with them providing your protection and wisdom. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Living/family rooms are the places where day-to-day life occurs: hospitality, relaxation, and entertaining as well as the mundane daily activities of life. Symbolically, living rooms are where we meet people.
Lord God, In Revelation you said you stand at the door and knock, knowing that entry is a matter of invitation and hospitality. Now we ask your blessing on this room so that it will be a place where not only You but also friends, family and other guests find a seat. In your name we pray. Amen.
The kitchen is in many respects the central place of the home. Its smells fill us with memories of nurture, love, and attention. Whether a cup of coffee or a full meal, the kitchen stands for deep welcomes and food with its good memories.
Jesus we are reminded of how you loved to feed people: the five thousand fed miraculously with a few loaves of bread and pieces of fish, all those parables about banquets, and the parties you attended with the wild crowd. May Kilolo’s kitchen be a place where she showers Jade with affection through food and also welcomes guests to her table. We pray this in Christ’s name. Amen.
The bedrooms are places of refuge and rest. Weariness is given peace. Worry is given calmness. The day’s activities and stresses are laid aside while sleep envelopes. How could we function without the rest and comfort that sleep brings?
Father, please bless these bedrooms with calmness and rest. May they be places that rejuvenate and enervate for the next day. Give these residents peace and calmness here. In Jesus’ name we pray this. Amen.
The Close. A house is really a metaphor for human life. In wood and metal you see the outlines of humanity. The outlines of our priorities, the nature of our relationships, and the role that God plays in our life. May this home be for you a wonderful portrait of your life well-lived. Joyful, fulfilled, and at peace. Two final prayers – join me in the second.
O God, be our shelter when we are at home, our companion when we are away, and our welcome guest when we return. At the end receive us into the dwelling place you have prepared for us in your house, where you live forever and ever. Amen.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen.
I conclude with this blessing. It was first said by Aaron, the brother of Moses, to all the people of Israel.
May the Lord bless you
and protect you.
May the Lord smile on you
and be gracious to you.
May the Lord show you his favor
and give you peace.