Weird question on Blessings?

[Mark Noo]

Can non-real things be blessed. Like this website, could this website be blessed.

Do only Catholics do blessings? (Isn't baptism a sort of blessing, a consecration, setting me aside to serve God, baptism does a lot of things but isn't that one of them)

I am not understanding what a blessing is and what it is good for.

it sounds like a good thing, but when the priests (Old Testament) made anything for the Temple it was consecrated, now that consecrated item can only be used in the Temple.

for instance - a priest consecrates/blesses (whatever it is he does) an axe for chopping wood for the fires in the Temple
now - we cannot use that axe to chop wood to keep ourselves warm, that axe can only be used to serve the Temple - or is keeping ourselves warm a service to God and so the axe can be used for chopping wood to keep warm
(or are only Levites allowed to touch the axe)

edit....
I think the Charismatics do blessing too.

 

[GreekOrthodox]

Can non-real things be blessed. Like this website, could this website be blessed.

Do only Catholics do blessings? (Isn't baptism a sort of blessing, a consecration, setting me aside to serve God, baptism does a lot of things but isn't that one of them)

Eastern Orthodox do a lot of blessings, there is the annual feast of Theophany (Epiphany in the West) in celebration of Jesus' baptism. If it is in a warm climate the congregation will go to a local body of water and bless the waters. If it is cold, then a large pot of water is kept in the church and after the water is blessed, it is put into vials for the congregation to take home. From there, the now sanctified water aka Holy Water is used to bless the local homes, cars, livestock, pretty much anything. Those items are now consecrated for use for the glory of God, as everything in creation should be. This is the prayer of the Great Blessing of the Waters

That these waters may be sanctified by the power, and effectual operation, and descent of the Holy Spirit, let us pray to the Lord.
That there may descend upon these waters the cleansing operation of the super-substantial Trinity, let us pray to the Lord.
That he will endue them with the grace of redemption, the blessing of Jordan, the might, and operation, and descent of the Holy Spirit, let us pray to the Lord.
That Satan may speedily be crushed under our feet, and that every evil counsel directed against us may be brought to naught, let us pray to the Lord.
That the Lord our God will free us from every attack and temptation of the enemy, and make us worthy of the good things which he hath promised, let us pray to the Lord.
That he will illumine us with the light of understanding and of piety, and with the descent of the Holy Spirit, let us pray to the Lord.
That the Lord our God will send down the blessing of Jordan, and sanctify these waters, let us pray to the Lord.
That this water may be unto the bestowing of sanctification; unto the remission of sins; unto the healing of soul and body; and unto every expedient service, let us pray to the Lord.
That this water may be a fountain welling forth unto life eternal, let us pray to the Lord.
That it may manifest itself effectual unto the averting of every machination of our foes, whether visible or invisible, let us pray to the Lord.
For those who shall draw of it and take of it unto the sanctification of their homes, let us pray to the Lord.
That it may be for the purification of the souls and bodies of all those who, with faith, shall draw and partake of it, let us pray to the Lord.
That he will graciously enable us to perfect sanctification by participation in these waters, through the invisible manifestation of the Holy Spirit, let us pray to the Lord.

 

[spiritualchristian7]

We already have the Holy Spirit in us, and I believe nothing is impossible as long as we ask from God in Jesus name.

Prayer is a very powerful tool ya know Faith is all you need

 

[JM]

This is ASK a CALVINIST forum.

Can non-real things be blessed. Like this website, could this website be blessed.

Do only Catholics do blessings? (Isn't baptism a sort of blessing, a consecration, setting me aside to serve God, baptism does a lot of things but isn't that one of them)

I am not understanding what a blessing is and what it is good for.

it sounds like a good thing, but when the priests (Old Testament) made anything for the Temple it was consecrated, now that consecrated item can only be used in the Temple.

for instance - a priest consecrates/blesses (whatever it is he does) an axe for chopping wood for the fires in the Temple
now - we cannot use that axe to chop wood to keep ourselves warm, that axe can only be used to serve the Temple - or is keeping ourselves warm a service to God and so the axe can be used for chopping wood to keep warm
(or are only Levites allowed to touch the axe)

edit....
I think the Charismatics do blessing too.

God uses secondary means and causes to bless His children but the emphasis is always on Jesus Christ being our every blessing.

"We see that our whole salvation and all it’s parts are comprehended in Christ (Acts 4:12). We should therefore take care not to derive the least portion of it from anywhere else. If we seek salvation, we are taught by the very name of Jesus that it is “of him” (1 Cor. 1:30). If we seek any other gifts of the Spirit, they will be found in his anointing. If we seek strength, it lies in his dominion; if purity, in his conception; if gentleness, it appears in his birth. For by his birth he was made like us in all respects (Heb. 2:17) that he might learn to feel our pain (cf. Heb. 5:2). If we seek redemption, it lies in his passion; if acquittal, in his condemnation; if remission of the curse, in his cross (Galatians 3:13); if satisfaction, in his sacrifice; if purification, in his blood; if reconciliation, in his descent into hell; if mortification of the flesh, in his tomb; if newness of life, in his resurrection; if immortality, in the same; if inheritance of the Heavenly Kingdom, in his entrance into heaven; if protection, if security, if abundant supply of all blessings, in his Kingdom; if untroubled expectation of judgment, in the power given to him to judge.

In short, since rich store of every kind of good abounds in him, let us drink our fill from this fountain, and from no other. Some men, not content with him alone, are borne hither and thither from one hope to another; even if they concern themselves chiefly with him, they nevertheless stray from the right way in turning some part of their thinking in another direction. Yet such distrust cannot creep in where men have once for all truly known the abundance of his blessings."

John Calvin in Institutes of the Christian Religion 2.16.19​

The emphasis is Christ, not the means of blessing...

We are truly blessed with temporal and spiritual blessings in Christ no matter what may come our way. Our blessings are true, solid and substantial in every sense of the meaning. Christ's blessings are irrevocable, they are facts confirmed by faith, they are irreversible. We find all blessings, this side of heaven and on the other side, belong to us because we are in Christ.

Yours in the Lord,

jm