Throughout my years of ministry, I have been asked to be present to offer a variety of blessings. A number of parishioners have requested that I visit their homes and do a house blessing. And so I have moved from room to room to ask God's blessing on all who dwell in this "house now become a home". As you can imagine, I have been present to pray God's blessing over numerous scouting events, Arbor Day festivities, remembrances of veterans, opening day ceremonies for baseball and softball seasons, and once I even got to bless firefighters and their new truck.

     Requests for blessings have also brought me to new business venues for fellow parishioners; like the midwife clinic of Connie Sheie, the Lakes Office Supply store of the Magrann family, the culinary gift store, An American Table, of Cindie Zippilli and most recently, the pool business of the Varano family.

     So what do you pray for when blessing a business that has been run from a home for over 8 years and now finds itself in the old hardware store in Yates plaza on Route 206 in Tabernacle. You can bet that there will be references to water and words about fairness, honesty and God's blessing. Here's what I said...

     On this beautiful day we gather to bless the owners, employees and customers of All Star Pool Service. And before we do, let us remember how God has used the gift of water throughout all time to bless his faithful people...

     In the beginning God's Spirit moved over the waters even before He said, "Let there be Light!" and then the Lord separated the waters from the dry land and filled the seas with swarms of living creatures...and it was good.

     Later in time, God protected the baby Moses as he floated in a reed basket on the Nile River before he was rescued by Pharaoh's daughter...this baby became the man who delivered the people of Israel from slavery when at God's command he parted the water of the Red Sea allowing men, women, and children to escape from certain death at the hands of the Egyptian army.

     Following 40 years in the wilderness, it was God who led Joshua and the Israelites through the waters of the Jordan River to the Promised Land; a land flowing with milk and honey.

     And then, much later in time, God's only Son was baptized in the same Jordan River waters by his cousin John who saw a dove descend on Jesus and heard God's words from heaven, "This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!" 

     And it was Jesus, in his time of earthly ministry, who helped a lame man who lay by the Pool of Bethesda to walk again. This Jesus also brought sight to a blind man after that man washed in the Pool of Siloam following the Savior's caring touch.