Benediction (Blessing)

As traditional Christian worship begins with acts of entrance, it also closes with acts of dismissal, chiefly a benediction. The benediction invokes the blessing of the Lord upon the congregation and sends the worshipers forth in the strength of God.

Historic worship typically concludes with a blessing or benediction (from a Latin term meaning "pronouncement of good"), spoken over the assembly by one of the officiants in the liturgy. In the church of the early centuries, the benediction was...

 

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