Blessing
God’s encouragement
A blessing is saying something good to a person. Whoever or whatever has been blessed grows and prospers. Blessings play a central role at the very beginning of the Bible: God blesses the seventh day of creation – today’s Sunday.
Blessing also means giving a sign to someone or something. For this, there are blessing gestures such as the spreading of hands, the laying on of hands, or the sign of the cross. Everyone can give and receive blessings.
Blessing also plays an important role among Reformed Christians: pastors pronounce a blessing at the end of every service throughout the country. If parents do not wish to have their children baptized so that they can make their own decision later, they can have them blessed. Blessing ceremonies are often requested for golden or diamond wedding anniversaries. And last but not least, the Reformed church also offers same-sex couples the opportunity to have themselves and their partnerships blessed.