All of our worship services end the same way: The minister lifts his hands and pronounces a benediction upon the people.  Benediction is simply a word that means, “blessing.”  While the benediction may seem foreign and uncomfortably sacerdotal to those from low church traditions, it is nevertheless Biblical.  For example, we find God calling Aaron and his sons to bless the people (Num. 6:24-26; Lev. 9:22), we hear of our resurrected Lord blessing the disciples with uplifted hands (Lk. 24:50) and we find nearly every NT epistle ending with God’s blessing made to rest upon his people (cf. Rom. 16:20-21; 1 Cor. 16:23; 2 Cor. 13:14; Gal. 6:18 to name a few).

But what exactly is a benediction?  To put it differently, what is happening when the minister blesses the church?  Most simply, through the minister God blesses his church.  The benediction is a “performative utterance” (Myers) whereby God’s people are given the promise of “divine pardon, presence, and peace” (Chapell).  This is what it means when God says, “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them” (Num. 6:27).  When the benediction is pronounced we are reminded that we are God’s people and that he is for us and therefore no one or thing can be against us.  Obviously this assumes something about the office of the minister, namely that the minister is called and commissioned as God’s representative.  Through the minister God speaks to his people and through the minister God blesses his people.  This has nothing to do with the holiness of the minister or his charisma, but rather rests in his office.

Furthermore, the fact that the benediction comes at the end of the service is also informative.  If we remember that worship is dialogical—that is, it’s a conversation and interaction between God and his people—then we will notice that the benediction is the last word.  God gets the first word in his greeting and call to worship and he gets the last word in the benediction.  He begins and ends the worship service.  Thus, we are sent out into the world with God’s blessing upon us.  We are sent forth equipped to love and serve our neighbor because we are loved by God and equipped to do so.  We are sent forth with his power and presence.

Therefore when my hands are uplifted know that it is God who is blessing you, making his name to rest upon you and sending you forth into the world to do his will.