Blessings and Faith Affirmations
Monday Ministerial Musings
By Rev. Mark William Ennis
2026 Blog #15
May 11, 2026
Blessings and Faith Affirmations
We had a busy Sunday at the Community Church of Glen Rock with two events during our morning worship service. We blessed our mothers and three church attenders made formal public confessions of faith. There is something very sacred, and yet, very ordinary about these events. How does the sacred and the ordinary come together?
On Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, it is our tradition to bless our mothers and fathers. In just a few weeks we will be blessing our high school graduates who are preparing to begin their lives in college. We are a congregation that takes the blessings of others very seriously.
The blessings are rather simple. Those we are blessing stand around the communion table with their backs toward the table. Those doing the blessing stand in front of those to be blessed and placed their hands on the forehead or shoulder to extend a blessing to those being blessed. It is a rather simply gesture but it is significant in that we represent Jesus and the whole visible church. It isn’t just us who are blessing, but the entire church of Christ. It is important that Christ’s body is blessing those in need of blessing.
In addition, three people who have been worshipping with us, made the decision to make public affirmations of faith. This sacrament is rather simple. We use water, rocks, and liturgical words. These are very simple things, but also, they are very sacred. Affirming faith in Jesus, pledging allegiance to him, is a sacred event with great implications. Pledging allegiance to Jesus, means that we put obeying him above all else. I’m not quite sure we always understand this.
When we pledge ourselves to God, we pledge ourselves against some worldly things. We promise to oppose injustice. We promise to work against poverty. We pledge to not participate in greedy activities or be people who put the love of money ahead of Godly activities. It is not easy in our world. Our word, rather than celebrating these values, stands in opposition to Christian values. When we say “yes” to Jesus, we say “no” to the values of the world.
It takes courage to pledge faith in Jesus in this world that has different values than we do. It is not easy to follow Jesus in our world. The world teaches, and rewards, values that are counter to those of the church.
When we make a public affirmation of faith, we answer the following questions:
Beloved of God, I ask you before God and Christ’s church to reject evil, to profess your faith in Christ Jesus, and to confess the faith of the church.
Do you renounce sin and the power of evil in your life and in the world?
I renounce them.
Who is your Lord and Savior?
Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior.
Do you promise to accept the spiritual guidance of the church, to walk in a spirit of Christian love with this congregation, and to seek those things that make for unity, purity, and peace?
I do.
I took these same vows when I made an affirmation of faith in 1972. I haven’t always lived up to them, but I have always attempted to do so. I pray that I will do better from this point onward.
I pray for the mothers that we blessed today. May they teach Godly values to their children and not the values of the world.
I pray for all of us who have taken these vows in the past that we might never forget these values and live them out in word and deed.
It isn’t easy to live up to these pledges, but it is worthwhile. The world is a better place because there are those of us who do pledge our lives to God and do renounce evil. I invite you to consider taking this courageous step with us and making the world a better place.
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