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Closing words bring the service to an end and prepare people to return home. If the service has been thematically tied together, the words can be a summation, a parting thought, a final nugget for people to reflect on throughout the week.

Benediction comes from the Latin, to speak well or the good words, and are a final blessing on the community. Benedictions are a blessing: words of comfort, strength, and encouragement for the week to come.

Search Words for Worship Services

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  • A low-angle shot of a wet gutter and curb in a city at nighttime. We see the colorful, out-of-focus lights of cars, traffic light, and building windows, as well as their reflections on the damp ground.
    The sacred does not hide from the world—it lives in it.
    Chalice Extinguishing | By Craig Rowland | November 19, 2025 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Brokenness, Interdependence, Reverence, Sacred, Worship
  • A heart, carved into the light grey wood of a tree trunk, with its interior dyed pale red.
    You deserve a circle that sees your scars and your strength, your doubts and your radiance, and holds them all with care.
    Chalice Extinguishing | By Craig Rowland | November 19, 2025 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Acceptance, Community, Doubt, Empathy, Growth, Hope, Interdependence, Strength, Worship
  • At nighttime, a person is facing towards us on a grassy footpath, shining a flashlight on the ground several feet in front of them. The person is in silhouette, illuminated from behind by a light further away from us on the path. We can just barely make out the trees, bushes, and weeds outside the path.
    Our faith, like a light, illuminates the path before us…
    Chalice Extinguishing | By James Galasinski | April 4, 2025 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Awe, Community, Compassion, Despair, Faith, Love
  • A black-and-white photo of a large adult hand, open and facing upward, with a lit tea light in its palm.
    In each breath we take, may we remember that the work of love, justice, and healing is ours to continue—both here and beyond these walls.
    Chalice Extinguishing | By Craig Rowland | January 30, 2025 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Business Meetings, Community, Courage, Healing, Justice, Love, Transformation, Truth, Worship
  • A group of five or six flowers drawn or painted against a black background. The flowers are realistic except for their colors. Each has five petals. The central flower has yellow, green, and purple petals, red in the center. The second most prominent flower has green petals, with red in the center.
    Blessings shall follow us all the days of our lives if we live in and return to right relationships, if we extend grace and forgiveness to ourselves and others, if we behold mercy as a spiritual superpower.
    Benediction | By Rebekah Savage | December 19, 2024 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Community, Compassion, Forgiveness, Grace, Interdependence, Kindness, Love, Peace, Respect, Worship
  • The words “Justice & Equity” typeset in serifed small caps against a pale blue background. “Justice” is centered near the top, “Equity” is in the lower right, and the ampersand is in the lower left, typeset in an engraver’s font about three times larger than the words.
    Each day, every day, we are blessed to be the embodiment of what is possible, when Justice and Equity ground us in all that we do.
    Benediction | By Rebekah Savage | December 19, 2024 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Calling, Equity, Justice, Worship
  • A close-up, against a black background, of tea light made of red wax in a small heart-shaped container. The candle is lit. In the dim light, the sides of the heart-shaped container are just visible; they are decorated with geometric patterns in red, blue, and yellow.
    As we extinguish the flame of our chalice, may its lingering spark be carried in your heart until we are together again.
    Chalice Extinguishing | By Rebekah Savage | December 18, 2024 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Community, Worship
  • A close-up of a leaf, whose many closely-spaced veins are colored green and red. The first impression is of an abstract pattern of curving parallel lines.
    Let us continue to grow as citizens of our communities, our nation, and our world. Let us work to build the common good, for ourselves and the generations to come.
    Closing | By Shari Woodbury | October 5, 2024 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: America, Community, Earth, Generations, Growth, Worship
  • Two children in silhouette against a dark, stormy sky. The children are facing one another, and the taller one holds an umbrella over them both.
    You are now holding in your heart a precious commodity. Someone trusted you with what was irking them, what brought them joy, what enraged them, what frightened them, what moved them, or simply, what is.
    Benediction | By Rumni Saha | August 21, 2024 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Community Ministry Sunday, Ministerial Transition, Ministry, Worship
  • A lily blossom, with pale violet leaves and yellow stamens, floats in a pond. Our view is from directly above, and in the water around the blossom we see the reflection of the concentric circles of the frames supporting the glass roof of a greenhouse.
    We extinguish this flame to remind us: love is the center. As we explore and rest, engage and heal: love remains the center. When all we can see is cold ashes: love remains.
    Chalice Extinguishing | By Eric Hepburn | July 17, 2024 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Healing, Love, Truth, Worship
  • An overhead view of an orange and red burst of flame against a deep black background
    Let us remember that we are not alone until we light this flame next time.
    Chalice Extinguishing | By Ben Atherton-Zeman | December 11, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Commitment, Community, Connections, Relationships, Worship
  • A dark hand tattooed with "love" and "hope" holding a smaller, lighter hand with a small bracelet with a heart charm.
    Love holds all of you.
    Benediction | By Carrie Holley-Hurt | September 15, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Immanence, Love, Transcendence
  • Seven leaves, all of the same variety but in a range of colors from green to gold to red, are strung on a line to represent a continuum.
    May we each find the balance point we need
    Closing | By Michelle Collins | September 15, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Beginnings, Change, Ending, Life Transition, Limitations, Transformation, Worship
  • Seen from above, an ivory pillar candle burns on a slate surface with a branch of greenery resting nearby.
    Be kind. Be brave. Be just. Be merciful.
    Benediction | By Adam Slate | March 13, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Courage, Hope, Justice, Kindness, Worship
  • Unitarian Universalist Association Chalice
    We end our gathering with gratitude for camaraderie, shared wisdom, goodwill, and support
    Benediction | By Adam Slate | March 10, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Worship
  • A close-up of reeds strands interwoven on the side of a basket.
    May we prevail in our intentions to make a gift of the world to the next generations.
    Benediction | By Ma Theresa "Tet" Gustilo Gallardo | March 8, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Worship
  • Three Flags at Winchester Unitarian Society
    democracy, today we will love you alive
    Benediction | By Lucas Hergert | March 3, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Activism, Democracy, Humanism, Justice, Resilience, Secular, Seven Principles
  • Unitarian Universalist Association Chalice
    From this ground, let us sow mercy, justice, and compassion.
    Chalice Extinguishing | By Melissa Jeter | March 2, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Abundance, Grace, Imagination, Worship
  • Unitarian Universalist Association Chalice
    We can use our inner lights to kindle new sparks throughout our lives and in the world.
    Chalice Extinguishing | By Amanda Alice Uluhan | February 24, 2023 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Purpose, Unitarian Universalism, Worship
  • Unitarian Universalist Association Chalice
    May love guide you on your journey forward
    Benediction | By Caitlin Cotter Coillberg | October 18, 2022 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Ministerial Transition, Ministry, Unitarian Universalism, Worship