Benedictions, invocations to depart with God’s blessings, are a feature of the church - every liturgical structure ends with them. They were a feature of the synagogue in Christ’s time – indeed Christ himself uses them when he dismisses his disciples on a new task. The word benediction derives from two Latin words that mean “to speak well of”.

Benedictions are pronounced by ministers at the close of worship services as an expression of hope and encouragement to God’s people to face whatever their future might hold. This makes them a Biblical norm for the end of worship – something we should consider doing each time we leave God’s presence and go out into the world. If you are involved with leading worship in the church or in the home your next question will be ‘Where do I go to find them?’ Fortunately Robert Vasholz has done the legwork for you. He has collected in this one book the benedictions found in scripture along with some additional scripture enriched blessings for use during worship.

Use them to help Christians have a greater effect on the world.

Robert I. Vasholz is Professor Emeritus of Old Testament at Covenant Theological Seminary in St Louis, Missouri. Though Dr. Valshoz retired in 2007, he continues to serve God’s people through his teaching, preaching and publishing projects.