The Hawaii Blessing

Hawaiian Islands Ministries produced “The Hawaii Blessing” in the first week of May 2020, when worship leaders from twenty-five churches across the islands each recorded a part. It uses the blessing known from the Priestly Blessing and sung widely in recent years: “The Lord bless you and keep you, make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”

The lyrics are short, so the interest is in who sings them. Pastors and worship leaders from Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kauai and the island of Hawaii take turns, and the congregations come from different traditions, including Presbyterian, Catholic, Nazarene, Methodist, Salvation Army and independent churches. The project was released with the hashtag #passtheblessing, as a message to people stuck at home that they were not alone.

The words are Numbers 6:24-26, spoken by priests over Israel. The peace they ask for is described in Philippians 4:7, and churches of many kinds singing together recalls Psalm 133:1.