Recently I had the privilege of leading a small blessing ceremony for a local community group whose premises had been burgled – a minor crime, yet a source of pain and disruption for the community affected.
Afterwards, I realised that there must be others facing similar situations, so below is an anonymised version of the blessing I wrote for you to use.
This is a simple spoken blessing. It is intended to be non-denominational and easy to adjust to circumstances. The asterisks indicate places to pause a breathe or two.
You are welcome to adapt this to fit your own needs and situation. You can add your preferred form of cleansing or space clearing beforehand. You can change the wording to suit your group’s theology (or lack thereof). Go for it!
If you do use this, I would love to hear how you find it and how you adapt it. If you publish your own version, I’d appreciate a credit (and a link!)
Let there be love.
<3
Let’s take a moment to pause and breathe.
Imagine love filling you up and overflowing out into this room and beyond – like golden light or honey or the sun’s warmth or however love looks and feels to you…
*
We come together today to bless [name of building] and [name of group].
Recently, people came with ill-intent and disrupted our peace. They looked only for their gain, and caused us damage and pain.
It is hard to understand and forgive such things, yet we know that those who harmed us could only do so because they are damaged and in pain themselves.
They are disconnected and alone. We have a community of love here around us.
*
Source of life and love,
Fill us with love.
Let it overflow this place.
Let it spill out into the streets and the land beyond.
Let all who come here, whatever their intent, become filled with love.
Let all who would cause harm to this place or its people be disrupted by love. May they find themselves turning away from harm and towards life.
Let the harm that has been done here be healed with love – a golden seam filling the cracks and scars until only life remains.
*
Source of life and love
We ask a blessing on this place.
This place is a home for our community.
Protect it from harm. Protect all of us who gather here from harm.
Wrap these walls around with love.
Wrap each and all of us around with love.
*
Above us are the stars, below us are the stones.
And in the in-between…here we are.
Let us be strengthened and supported by the time we spend together.
Let us fill this place with love and laughter.
Let there be love.