Benediction: Lives Marked By Compassion and Generosity (based on Ephesians 5:1-2)

Since God is so generous with us and infuses the universe with goodness, may we act as conduits of that divine grace. 

May our lives be marked by compassion. 

May God's ever-present spirit encourage and strengthen us as we work to bring out the best in everyone and everything.

Blessing: Love Is God's Essence, So Let Us Be Loving (based on Ephesians 5:1-2)

If we pay attention to what God does, then we'll know what to do and how to do it, just as an apprentice learns a trade from a craftsman.

Love is God's very essence and nature, so we should learn a life of love. Jesus is the best example we have of this. We need to remember the way that Jesus loved; not cautiously but extravagantly, not in order to get something in return but to bring out the best in everyone and everything. 

That is the example we should follow, with our lives full of that kind of love.