I recently had an interesting experience. Someone out in internet-land found a blog post I'd written in May of 2007 about being gay in church. The basic jist of the post was that we had decided, as a church, to love people first and worry about behavior second. We were choosing relationship and allowing God's Spirit to lead people beyond that.
Apparently, Fr. John took great offense to my stance on homosexuality. I wasn't so surprised that someone might disagree with my thoughts so much as I was floored by how he responded. He threatened me with a liturgy of malediction. In the middle ages, a liturgical malediction was where a group of monks got together and described in graphic detail how they wanted God to afflict someone they were unhappy with. I don't know if Fr. John was calling out boils on my body or just making a point. In any case, it ocurred to me that such a thing as malediction exsits. A benediction is a blessing. Often, at the end of a worship experience, the pastor will speak a blessing on the congregation--you might also extend a benediction to someone as you try and encourge them in pain, or intercede on their behalf before God. I am amazed that there would be people out there who would see a use for the antithesis of benediction.
As this has been sinking in with me, the concept of benediction has become increasingly important. As a pastor (and all of us as Christ-followers) I cannot affford to waste time not blessing people. I must use every connection and influence I carry with God to extend his blessing to the people around me. Not only because I know God longs to bless people through me, but now, because I am aware that there are people out there, calling themselves Christians, who would employ the anti-benediction in an effort to curse and confound anyone who doesn't agree with them.
So...God bless you all!
