It’s the most wonderful time of the year — no, not Christmas, although it wouldn’t be surprising if jolly elves and holiday trees were already on retail shelves mingling with Halloween merchandise.
It’s back to school time, and for parents that means helping children sharpen their pencils and charge their laptops in preparation for the first day. For children it means adapting to new morning routines and getting back to a studying and test-taking rhythm. And for pastors, it’s that wonderful time of year to bless school backpacks.
The Blessing of the Backpacks has been a popular service for many churches, especially those with older congregations filled with empty nesters, as it gives them an opportunity to show children and their families that they care. Blessing backpacks is also meaningful to anxious parents, as sending children to school these days is not without worry. Parents’ concerns for their children’s safety in the classroom escalate with each new act of violence reported in the news. What parent wouldn’t want extra blessings for their children?
There are many ways to bless backpacks, too. Some pastors do so during a Sunday worship service while gathered around the baptismal font, reminding the Body of Christ of its promise to be part of nurturing children’s faith. While others, like Parkwood Presbyterian Church in Jenison, Michigan, use it as an opportunity for community outreach, holding it in a park on a Sunday afternoon. The Rev. Sarah Juist not only blesses backpacks, but also prayers for teachers and school staff are lifted as well.
Original source can be found here.
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