November 20, 2023
Church “shop talk” can make you feel left out, can’t it?
Here you’ll get a straightforward explanation of what “Bless” means for Christians, and how to talk about it.
CHURCH “SHOP TALK” EXPLAINED
If you’ve ever been discouraged by Church “Shop Talk,” you’re not alone. Maybe sometimes you feel like people are talking over your head.
Seasoned folks throw terms around casually, assuming everyone knows what they know.
And that everyone else was taught with the same language they were taught.
As a new believer, you know you want to come along, to sit with others and learn, but they keep talking in those “religious terms” that you don’t have a good handle on yet.
Please don’t worry. This short series will give you a little jump start. And I’ll give you some resources to find out more.
People aren’t trying to make you feel left out (at least they shouldn’t be).
But it’s like anything else — they just don’t know what you don’t know.
“BLESS” from long ago…
I was most surprised by the origin of the word “bless” in the English language.
🫢 Look:
First recorded before 950; Middle English blessen, Old English blētsian, blēdsian “to consecrate” (originally done with blood), earlier *blōdisōian (blōd “blood” + -isō- derivational suffix + -ian verb suffix); see blood
To consecrate with blood. I wasn’t expecting that.
I’m grateful the customs evolved over time.
And take a quick look at the dictionary, which is a solid place to start.
THE DICTIONARY MEANING OF BLESS:
Here’s what you probably already know, from Mirriam-Webster online and Vocabulary.com:
1. To hallow or consecrate by religious rite or word.
(“Bless our efforts, our house, our marriage, etc.”)
2. To hallow with the sign of the cross.
(“He blessed himself before he entered.”)
3. To invoke divine care for.
(Awww, bless your heart.)
4. To praise or glorify.
(“Bless his Holy name.”)
5. To speak well of or approve.
(“He gave the project his blessing.”)
6. To confer prosperity or happiness on.
(“God has blessed us with five grandchildren.”)
7. To protect or preserve.
(“Bless us as we go out into the city.”)
8. Endow or favor.
(“She was blessed with a beautiful voice”.)
9. A short prayer of thanks before a meal.
(“God is great, God is good, let us thank him for our food.”)
Wow. Is that enough?
And…
Don’t forget about saying “God bless you!” after a sneeze which I kinda don’t like to say but sometimes I still do.
What Does “Bless You” After a Sneeze Even Mean?
We’ve looked at the consecration with blood, and the dictionary. Let’s quickly settle the strange connection between blessing and sneezing, and then we get to the heart of today’s topic.
Saying “Bless you!” after a sneeze. What a compulsion. You know what I’m talking about. A conditioned automatic response.
The origin? People thought a sneeze was a sign of an evil spirit, or the devil trying to snatch your soul as it came out in a sneeze. So an expression of blessing was supposed to… protect you from that.
But another origin claims it was that a sneeze was an early sign of the plague, so “God Bless You” was kind of a benediction for your shortened life.
I haven’t found either to be very reliable.
It doesn’t hurt anything to say it. There’s just no reason to. Read more if you want at: Bless you! After a sneeze.
And now, 🎺 blessing a meal.
Rarely do you hear someone truly explain what it means to bless a meal. And if three-year-olds do it at day care, we certainly aren’t gonna ask what it means.
BLESSING A MEAL.
If being asked to “Say the blessing” makes you tense, you’re about to get the information that relaxes you.
You’ll know the why, the how, and the no-need-to-be-nervous.
What Does Blessing a Meal Mean?
😳 Did you ever start eating and then someone said “Let’s say a blessing before we eat” when you already had a bite in your mouth?
Of course not.
Me neither.
😉 Okay. Maybe I did.
A common understanding is that the ritual has been completed, your food is blessed and now appropriate to eat (unlike the bite in your mouth that is unblessed). 😕
Sigh. We know it: It’s much more polite to allow the host to call for the blessing before you eat. Good manners usually don’t hurt us, do they?
BUT THE BLESSING — REALLY, …WHY?
Here it is:
Blessing a meal isn’t about permission. It’s about acknowledging that God has provided, about asking that our partaking will enhance our service. We presume it will be fulfilled by good health, fellowship, strength to continue, etc.
Here’s what John Piper says:
“The whole point to a mealtime prayer is to receive the blessing of God’s provision with thanksgiving. It’s not an incantation we chant to ensure that our food is “blessed.” Food eaten before a prayer is not any less blessed by God. You might even choose to pray at the end of a meal occasionally.”
Blessing a meal. Read more of what he says at Desiring God, “Why We Pray For Our Meals.” It’s actually a very straightforward article that helps you see that blessing differently.
Will You Be Asked To Say The Blessing?
Some people are honored. Some are comfortable and prepared.
Then there’s everybody else.
If being asked to “say the blessing” makes you tense, what you learn here will relax you.
You’ll be calm, kind, and comfortable.
Three easy things:
- Invite guests to become quiet.
- Direct their hearts upward.
- And pray.
SAY THIS:
“Hey, everybody.
Let’s take a minute to thank God.
God, we thank you for your provisions in every minute of every day. We thank you for the meal set before us, and the abundance it represents. Bless this meal, and all that we do, to your glory. Amen.”
And just like that, you did it. You politely invited your guests to join you in acknowledging the provisions from God. And that’s exactly what you were asked to do.
Blessings are about acknowledgement of the source. That’s really the big idea. It’s a pause, a look toward the giver, and a hope for the future.
You can shift that around so that it fits around all those dictionary definitions above.
And you can relax about a few things:
- You don’t have to use blood.
- Your soul doesn’t leak out for the devil to snatch when you sneeze.
- Your sneeze probably doesn’t mean you have the plague.
- God isn’t keeping track of those first-bites before the blessing is spoken.
Isn’t that a relief?!
If it seems like every time you turn around, the word bless is being used differently, remember what you learned here. And learn more!
They say our brain is kinda big but we only use about one pinky-finger of space for everything we know. That leaves a lot of room for more.
Relax.
Pause.
Think about things you’re thankful for.
Acknowledge the giver.
Step into the promise of the future being provided.
The word “blessing” sometimes sounds like insider language, a thing you hear but you don’t fully understand.
Why do we do that to each other (use shop talk without explaining it)?
This topic and a few others are here to clear that up.
So pass it along, talk about it, and explain it to someone else. No more secret handshakes, right?
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-Grammye
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