Penguin Blessing for Back to School

LNPC Penguin Blessing for Students, Teachers (and Parents), 2023 

 

Anoint the students and teachers (and parents, if desired): Name, Child of God, you are known and loved.   

Penguin should be different voice than pastor.

 

Penguin: 

Instead of hollow bird bones, God made my bones heavy and solid so I can dive deep and swim strong. God gave my feathers muscles in the shafts, to lock them down tight and waterproof, and oil on top to block the arctic wind. God gave me a filter gland to take salt out of salt water, so I can be hydrated wherever I am. God gave me a fancy tuxedo to protect me from predators: From above I look like the dark water, from below, the bright sky. God gave me special feet: they’re my webbed rudders to steer my speeding through the water, they’re my grippy hiking boots to hold me up on slippery, slow walks, and when I slide fast through the icy world on my belly, they’re my propellers, steering wheel, and brakes. 

I’m adaptable and I’m resilient. I am slow and I am fast. I am silly and I am smart. I am a penguin, and God gives me just what I need to help me through the world.

 

Pastor: 

Beloved Ones: God gives you just what you need to help you through the world.

May you dive deep and travel strong, 

filter out what’s harmful and take in what is good. 

May God hold you steady when things get slippery,

give you brakes when things move fast, 

and protect you from harm.

 

All: 

I am adaptable and resilient, slow and fast, silly and smart. 

I am me, and God gives me what I need.

God bless you and me!

 

Penguin:

To stay waterproof, once a year I have a “catastrophic molt”: I lose all my feathers and grow new ones. Then I’m tufty and scruffy, and I feel kind of weak. I don’t know when this will happen; it’s inconvenient and annoying.  When my messy breakdown comes, I will pause my normal hunting and swimming and make sure to rest more. I have to trust that even though I’m uncomfortable, something new is growing in me. I will not always feel as rough and raggedy as I do in this moment. I must let go some of who I was so I can keep becoming who I am.

 

Pastor: 

Beloved Ones: God will transform you this year, and new things will grow in you. 

Sometimes it will be uncomfortable, messy and annoying, 

but you will not feel rough and raggedy forever.  

May you trust in God’s care, 

let go of what no longer serves you, 

and give your body, heart and mind the rest you need,

even when it’s inconvenient.

 

All: 

When I’m tufty and scruffy, something new is growing in me.

God bless you and me.

 

Penguin:

My voice is unique; no one sounds just like me.  I know my friends’ and family’s particular songs. I pick out special rocks for my friends. When I see someone I love, I dance with joy.  I wouldn’t survive alone. I belong to everyone else, and they belong to me. We guard each other from danger by sticking together.  When we huddle on land it’s called a waddle, and in the water, it’s called a raft.  I am an expert hugger; we keep each other warm by taking turns in the middle.  Each of us is different, and we’re also all the same: we all need each other, and we all take care of each other.  

 

Pastor: 

Beloved Ones: We wouldn’t survive alone.  You belong to God and you belong to all others.

We celebrate your unique song. 

Watching you be you makes us dance with joy.

May you find your voice,

and share your gifts.

When you take your turns in the middle,

may you feel God’s warmth and protection,

through the love and care of others.

And when other people need that warmth,

may you be their raft,

and we will be your waddle.

 

All: 

I will be me and you will be you. 

We all need each other, and we all take care of each other.

God bless you and me!

 

 

(Stuffed penguins may be distributed now, if not handed out earlier)

Hedgehog Blessing (for Back to School)

 Psalm 116: 5-7 "Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful. The Lord protects the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me. Return, O my soul, to your rest, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. 

BACK TO SCHOOL BLESSING FOR CHILDREN & TEACHERS

AKA. HEDGEHOG BLESSING

By Kara K. Root

 

(Prior to the blessing, 

anoint children and teachers with the sign of the cross, “Name, You are a Beloved Child of God”)

 

Children and Teachers –

God made the sun and the moon, the night and the day, the oceans and the land, the sky and the animals; God made the hedgehog and God made you.

 

So to send you back to school this year, we are giving you a special ‘Hedgehog Blessing.’

 

Beloved Children of God:

As hedgehogs roam far and wide and investigate the world, may you have room to discover and grow, may you be filled with curiosity and wonder, may your body move, your heart thrill and your mind explore.

 

For Discovery, Curiosity, Wonder, Movement and Exploration, we pray.

God, bless these beloved ones.

As hedgehogs are the most deeply hibernating creature on the planet, and have no problem curling up for a nap anytime throughout their waking days, may you take many breathers and breaks when you need them: brain breaks and mask breaks and friend breaks and screen breaks. And may you know when to let go and relax, and when you are tired, may you find deep rest.

 

For Rest, Breaks, breathers and relaxation, we pray.

God, bless these beloved ones.

 

As hedgehogs are very vocal with their grunts and snuffles and squeals, so may you speak up and speak out.  Share your joys and your sadnesses, your worries and your celebrations.  May you make new friends and listen to their grunts and snuffles and squeals too, because we are all in this together.

 

For speaking out and for listening, we pray.

God, bless these beloved ones.

 

As hedgehogs’ quills offer protection but do not sting or injure, may your heart and mind and body be guarded this year.  And may you work out conflict in ways that bring peace instead of harm, because in Jesus Christ, we all belong to each other.

 

For guarded heart and minds, we pray.

For working out conflict without harm, we pray.

God, bless these beloved ones.

 

The hedgehog was for ancient peoples a symbol of resurrection, or life after death, because God made the hedgehog immune to snake venom.  So, like the hedgehog you too are protected; mean or poisonous words cannot destroy you, and mistakes and struggles do not define you.  

Who you are in your deepest self is already completely known and loved by God: You are a beloved child of God, Jesus holds you secure.

As the ancient Greeks used to say, “The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog one important thing” – so may you remember this one important thing, and I invite everyone to repeat it after me now: God loves me, now and always.

All: God loves me now and always.

 

For Protection and understanding, we pray

To know the one important thing: “God loves me, now and always,” we pray,

God, bless these beloved ones.

As hedgehogs curl into a ball, may you too let yourself feel your feelings. If you are sad or angry, scared or worried, God will join you there and hold you in it. And as hedgehogs enjoy being held, and not forced to come out of their ball but allowed to uncurl when they are ready, may you trust that you are held in God’s love, and it’s ok to just rest there, and not to move on to action too quickly.

 

To feel all their feelings, we pray

To trust God is holding them in love, we pray

God, bless these beloved ones.

 

As hedgehogs lose their baby spines and grow adult ones, first of all, many of you will lose your baby teeth and grow adult teeth, which we will celebrate with you as milestones of growing up.  But also, all of get to let go of the ways we use to protect ourselves that no longer serve us, and grow new, brave ways to stay both connected to God and other people and true to ourselves.

 

For milestones of growth we pray

To let go of what no longer serves them, we pray

To stay true to themselves,

and connected to others,

we pray,

God bless these beloved ones.

 

God made hedgehogs with a strange ritual. When they discover a new scent in their environment – some kind of plant or object they don't recognize - they will lick and bite it, and make froth in their mouths that they paint onto their spines with their tongues.  This is called “anointing” and helps them adapt to their surroundings.  You have been anointed today as a beloved child of God.  So like the hedgehogs, may that make you brave to be in whatever places you are this year, may you have courage to face new and different things. May you be resilient (which means that you get better and better at recovering when hard things happen), and may you be adaptable (which means you get good at adjusting to changes).

 

For courage, resilience and adaptability we pray,

God bless these beloved ones.

 

As hedgehogs are clever and resourceful, such as knocking a grape off a vine and rolling over onto it to stab the grape onto its quills and carry it off, so may you find creative, joyful and imaginative ways to navigate challenges, and to find and hang onto the sweetness in this year to carry with you and share with others.

 

That they may be clever, resourceful, imaginative and joyful, we pray.

That they may taste life’s sweetness and share it with others, we pray.

God bless these beloved ones.

 

God of the whole universe and of the hedgehog too,

bless these children and teachers with all these things, and in all these ways,

as they begin a new school year.

Amen. 

 

Blessing written for the children and teachers of Lake Nokomis Presbyterian Church, September 5, 2021.  

Each child and teacher received a stuffed hedgehog for their backpack.

Copyright Kara K. Root. May be shared and used with attribution.  

In addition:

The following may be printed onto a TAG to be attached to the hedgehogs: 

Discovery, Curiosity, Wonder, Movement, Exploration.

Rest, Breaks, breathers and relaxation.

Speaking out and listening.

Guarded heart and mind.

Resolve conflict without harm.

Know one important thing: “God loves me, now and always.”

Protection and Understanding.

Feel your feelings: scared, glad, sad, worried, calm, afraid.

Let go of what no longer serves you.

True to yourself.

Connected to others.

Brave.

Resilient.

Adaptable.

Clever.

Resourceful.

Imaginative.

Sharing.

Joyful.

 

Back to School Blessing

 

May be used by groups/congregations, or at home.  

In lieu of a "blessing of the backpacks," each person brings an object that will be used for school this year.

Pencils, computers, paper, headphones, masks and designated workspaces – 
we lift to you the tools of this school year.
They represent the learning we will be doing,
and all the unusual places and ways we will be doing this learning.

 As we hold in our hands these tools, 

and hold in our hearts this school year,

we ask your blessing on us, Gracious One.

 

May our teachers teach with wisdom, grace, imagination and love.

Give them patience and gentleness with themselves,

and their students.

Mark out for them the times to work and the times to rest.

And give them joy in their teaching.

 

May our learners grow in wisdom, grace, imagination and love.

Give them patience and gentleness with themselves,

and their teachers.

Mark out for them the times to work and the times to rest.

And give them joy in their learning.

 

May our parents parent with wisdom, grace, imagination and love.

Give them patience and gentleness with themselves,

and with their children.

Mark out for them the times to work and the times to rest.

And give them joy in their parenting.

 

Lord, bless these students. 

Bless these teachers. 

Bless these parents.  

Bless this learning.

May we remember it’s not about memorizing facts and figures,

but stimulating our inspiration, expanding our horizons, 

deepening our appreciation for living, 

and expanding our capacity to participate 

in a full life alongside each other.

Amen.